The Enemy
by Ramica
Summary: She once was a part of the turtles family but she was captured by the Foot. Now nine years later is she ready to fight, torture and maybe kill those she once loved. A rewrite of the original Enemy story. Still a dark fic and what if story. Complete!
1. Prologue: Missing

The Enemy

Rated R – For violence and swearing.

Author's Note: this story is a rewrite of my original ' The Enemy' Story. For the most part it won't be changed but I wanted to add more depth to the conflict my OC goes through. Possibly a few other changes as well.

This story is loosely based off of another story of mine called Bond of Friendship. During the writing of Bond I had the leader of the Foot, Yukio Sekoria who, became leader after Shredder's death, learn of Mike's daughter, Ramiela's existence.

Yukio plots to capture the almost seven year old and train her so he can pit turtle against turtle.

It never happened in Bond of Friendship, it wasn't the way that story was meant to be written.

My muses kept saying what if…

What if he had caught Rama and turned her against her family…

What if indeed.

This then is my answer. It is, by my writing, a dark fic but it doesn't really happen in the Rama universe.

My thanks and appreciation, still go out to Danceingfae and Shade for reading and previewing a few of the original chapters to confirm it might be a good story for 

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Prologue – Missing.**

**Michaelangelo:**

I often had to wonder exactly what had happened to my little girl, where could she possibly have disappeared to? Who or what had taken her from me, and so completely out of my life that there was just no sign of her to be found.

She had been just a few weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she vanished leaving no trace of where she had gone to.

I mean the last I heard or saw of her she was going out for a walk in the sewers before dinner, and after her day of classes with Don. She slipped out the door and never returned.

At first my brothers and I searched the sewers, splitting up checking all the hazards that lay in our subterranean home. We scoured every known enemy camp and training base within New York City.

When that didn't pan out we broke into every research facility, both known and unknown in the city. We never messed with any of the research we saw though some of it wasn't pretty to see or think of. We were just looking for Rama but we found no sign of her in any of these buildings.

I was both grateful she wasn't there, in one of those terrible places but I was almost hopeful that she would be there, for if she had been we would still have her home, at least, we would have found her.

Don hacked into computers all over the place, spending hours on the internet trying to track her down, checking any lead no matter how small or hopeless it might seem.

Raph meanwhile he track down and beat up on different hoods from gangs and the like, the sort of people who often had their ear to the ground, and could tell you things like black markets and where you could get anything for a price.

It was all to no avail, no one had heard or seen any sign of Rama.

I didn't understand it, but I did become quite literally mind you, obsessed with searching for her, often I would forego sleep, practice and any other necessities of life in my desperate bid to find some clue to my daughter's disappearance.

I admit I ran myself ragged and became almost as irritable as Raph on his worst days, I was easily frustrated at the numerous dead ends I found myself in.

Days dragged on, turned into weeks that became months and slowly turned into pain filled, agonizing years of loss and doubt. The holidays were always the hardest to face.

The worst day of the year though had to be April fifteenth Rama's birthday. Sure I often thought about her, but never more then on that day. I would recall what she looked like, her cheerful nature, the way she laughed and joked, her voice singing merrily any number of songs she had memorized. She was full of mischief and jokes a lively bundle of activity and energy.

I would recall all that and more on April fifteenth, then I would think how I had another year without her and wonder, how she might have changed, what I had missed in her growing process, wonder if she missed us?

In the end her birthday always seemed to bring home how I had lost her and that I was probably doomed to face another year without her.

But time stands still for no one and after all these years my brothers believed that Rama had to be dead, after all if she had been alive we would have found something somewhere to justify that belief.

We were trained ninja and very few could clear all evidence, of something, or keep the truth hidden for so long against those who were trained to the art of ninjitsu. So my brothers reasoned that she surely had to be dead by now.

' Too much time has passed Mike. We would know something if there was any hope of her being alive." Leo had reasoned with me.

I didn't want to hear it though. I figured if Rama was dead I would know it, in the depths of my heart. I wanted, perhaps I needed, to believe she was still alive and well. Perhaps one day we would see each other again and she would remember me as I remember her with every passing day.

Sure by now she would be sixteen years old, which meant she had been gone nine years but I don't think she could forget me. Not entirely, perhaps something had happened and she had gotten amnesia, or something similar, and only needed something familiar to open the gate to the past. It was what I hoped for, I would die happily if I only got the chance to see her one more time and know that she was well, happy and most importantly alive.

My brothers had moved on with their lives Leo and his wife Karena had one more boy and she was pregnant again.

Don had a wife of his own they had three children two girls and a boy.

Raph had his wife Sara with three children two boys and one girl, their daughter was the youngest. Raph had asked me on the night she was born ' If I would mind, so much, if they named her Ramiela.'

I had winced " No Raph, I know you want to honour her memory bro, but it is hard enough just thinking about her with out having to hear that name spoken again." I pleaded with my brother, " Besides this little girl is her own self, not a copy of Rama but if she has the name Rama well then…" I shrugged as I trailed off.

Raph rested his hand on my shoulder and whispered, " I understand Mike." So they ended up calling her Kai instead.

I loved my nieces and nephews dearly but my fear of what happened to Rama held me back from getting into another relationship.

I confess I lost some of my trademark humour and goofiness with that. It is so hard to laugh when all you want to do is cry, and you feel as if you have failed, as a father in every way possible.

I often dreamed of Rama trapped in some lab or godforsaken place of a hell hole where she was tortured and beaten. In my dreams I could hear her and see her but try as I might I couldn't reach her. I couldn't help her as I wanted to. Nine times out of ten I'd wake from those nightmares with my pillow wet from my tears as I cursed my inability to help the very one who needed me most.

Laughing just didn't come that easy any more.

I was a failure in so many ways but I hoped that there would be another chance to prove myself. I couldn't give up hope. I just had to believe or cling to something. So I hoped that she was alive because we never found her body, if we had perhaps then I could close the door on her and move on.

Sometimes believing she was alive was the only thing that kept me going. It was the only thing I could hold to or give me even just a moment or two of peace.

No matter how impossible it might be, I knew in my heart that Rama was alive. Otherwise I had nothing.

TBC


	2. Chapter One: Capture

The Enemy

Reinbeuachaser: Best prepare yourself the terrible chapter is here. I know you have a problem with this dark fic. I can't say it is a favourite of mine either. If you can't finish it I won't hold it against you though, I will say there is a light at the end of the tunnel just a lot of darkness between here and there first. A gratitude for your insight.

Lenni: This story is truly one to feel bad for Mike and poor Kirra as well. Glad you decided to join me for the second and most likely last telling of this tale. A gratitude for your insight

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter One – Capture.**

**Kirra:**

I don't recall much of my early years, though I do remember the time I was raised in Japan, I was around seven then I guess, but the time before that is nothing more then a large void.

I could tell you all about my training in Japan, the early missions father had assigned me to in my preteens, all in vivid detail. However I couldn't tell you one thing about my life before I came to Japan to be trained as a kunoichi.

My father told me, that, he had found me in a research lab on one of his many business trips and that when he saw me, he took great pity on me and decided then and there to release me from that place.

I found that a little strange, to say the least, for my father was not known for pity or compassion towards any body. Still it must have been an awful, horrible place, indeed, to elicit pity from one such as him. The fact that I recalled nothing of the place only seemed to verify how bad the lab had to be.

He took me to Japan and I remember flying on his plane as he explained to me that I was to be trained as a ninja, a kunoichi at that time I wanted to please him so, and I felt a strong desire to be a good kunoichi so that he would be pleased in saving me. I wanted to please him by doing well and giving no cause to even think of returning me to that terrible place he had spared me from.

Somehow though, I felt that, now I was a kunoichi I realized I could never really be what my father wanted me to be. That was when the whole kunoichi thing turned sour for me. By that time I had learned that my father, most likely, secretly hated and despised me. That it would take a great deal of effort on my part to earn his pleasure, all because I looked like one of his enemies.

The very same enemies that had shown him up numerous times, not just him either for they had also made a laughing stock of the previous leader Oroku Saki. Father felt that his enemies had caused him to lose much honour and status within the Foot Clan.

It was true they had.

I know my father never truly loved me. I highly doubted that he could be affectionate towards any one, so I really shouldn't feel to hurt or surprised that he rarely showed any kindness towards me.

He was a cold, hard, ruthless, cruel man. The word sadistic comes to mind. I doubted he could love or respect any one or any thing for that matter.

The most I could hope for from him was grudging praise when I did exceptionally well and harsh punishment when I put a toe out of line, but then again he was really no different with any one else who served under him. I had often seen the discipline he would hand out to others who crossed or defied him, or made a foolish mistake.

Still even with that knowledge I still felt a strong desire to please him and find favour in his eyes. Maybe because I felt, and it was true, that I owed my life to him. After all if I had stayed in the lab I would probably have died years ago. Instead I was free, had an education and had some sort of future ahead of me.

I knew what I was, every time I looked in a mirror or saw my reflection I was cruelly reminded of it.

I was an abnormal freak. A large turtle humanoid with long dark, almost black coloured, hair that fell past my knees. I usually kept it braided to keep it out of my way. My eyes were greenish grey in colour or is that greyish –green and does it really matter? I suppose not. I had high cheek bones in a round turtle face with, what I felt was a rather prominent turtle beak. I had five fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot. Light green skin and a large bulky turtle shell both carapace and plastron.

It was rather hard to deny what sort of grotesque creature I happened to be. I was a grim reminder of my father's constant failure.

My father didn't care for failure of any type, those who failed him suffered the most horrible consequences. You might fail my father once, and live to tell about it, and that was if you were lucky. I had seen it too many times, in my past, to not know what the cost of failing him was.

I didn't dare bring that hatred or anger on to me. I feared, and had often dreamed of my father starting to discipline me for some wrong only for him to forget that I was his daughter and not one of his enemies whom he loathed, so that he ended up killing me.

Yes, I admit I lived in fear and awe of him. I would not once even **think** of disobeying him.

I had only come to New York recently, within the last year. At first the soldiers here paid me a great deal of attention, harassing me, sneering crude innuendos my way, lying in sneak attacks and other games to catch me off guard. They soon learned that it wasn't worth it for I could handle them and their foolishness.

The Foot Soldiers learned fast that **I** like my father was not someone they really wanted to mess with. I could quite literally clean the floor with them if I choose and leave their corpses behind. The Foot soon learned to leave me alone and to pay me some respect.

I was at the present moment on the way to father's office. Another lesson I learned early on, was that one did not keep my father waiting when he called for you.

I knocked at his office door and entered on his command.

" Kirra" father looked up and smiled my way as I entered. His smile was not the warm, welcoming type. Instead his smile was hard and firm, like him.

" You called father" I spoke softly keeping my head down as I bowed low. I knew that I was only a lowly servant, not meant to catch and hold his eyes, therefore it was best not to meet his gaze unless he asked.

" Kirra you are aware of our enemies here?" father asked his tone short and clipped.

_Ah, now I understand, this was business._

" Yes Master Sekora, I have spent my spare time here researching all that I can about them, including what we know of their personalities and fighting styles." I replied. I knew that I was **not** to call him father where business is concerned.

" Good then you have taken my advice to heart Kirra." He complimented me briefly. " We have learned where the turtles live. I want you to take a group of soldiers and infiltrate their home." He ordered briskly, " Capture the original four turtles. Anyone else with them you are to see to it that they are killed."

I sucked in my breath as I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. He was tall, slender, muscular build with the dark hair and eye colouring typical to those of Asian descent. He was dressed typically all in black.

I was actually looking forward to pitting my skills against our enemies but I doubted that the ordinary Foot Clan here, would be of much use against the turtles. After all they had defeated large numbers of the Foot before.

Of course I wasn't about to mention any of the doubts I had to father. I would do the best I could on this mission ahead of me and hope for once that we could actually turn the tide against the turtles.

" Due to their training I'll be sending some of the Elite with you. They will be under your command Kirra, so it is up to you to ensure the four are brought back here alive."

I was relieved to hear that I would have the Elite on my side but I kept close control of that relief for if I let it show in any way then father would easily know of my doubts and fears. With the Elite I knew that this mission could very well succeed.

" Do **not** fail me Kirra."

**Like**, he really needed to tell me this? I'd sooner die then fail him, especially in a mission of such importance.

I bowed low again " With your permission I will go prepare for this great honour you have bestowed upon me Master Sekora."

" Granted Kirra" father replied releasing me.

I bowed to him once more before turning on my heels to leave.

What an honour it was to have the Elite at my command. With them at my side there would be no need or reason to fail at least, not if I was careful.

I had to prepare and not become too overconfident for the turtles were no ordinary fighters.

I decided to make a quick mental review of what I knew of these four turtles.

Leonardo the blue masked leader of the four, was calm controlled, poised. He was an expert swordsman and a dangerous fighter. It was well known that he cared a great deal for his family.

I knew father had special plans for him. Of course, father had special plans for all the turtles, but his hatred for Leonardo truly knew no end. I knew the leader would suffer greatly before father granted him death.

Donatello, the purple masked turtle wielding only a simple bo staff, was fully capable of doing extreme damage to the Foot. However it was not his skill with his staff that had the Foot hating him so.

No Donatello had quite a knack for anything electrical. He was most adept at hacking into our computers causing them to crash, or learning of important information either way he would leave a signature that let the Foot know the smart turtle had outwitted them, yet again.

I smirked to myself just recently we had been turning this against them being very careful to not alert them. We set traps for them to come to and we would purposely allow them to escape only to have some of our best trackers trail them.

Our trackers had to be careful and so between simple battles, traps laid and trackers slowly following them, it had taken a great deal of time but our efforts had clearly paid off.

Raphael the red masked turtle was a wild, vicious fighter. He was dangerous and highly explosive in battle when it came to protecting his family. It was said among the Foot that he was almost unstoppable and was responsible for more deaths in our clan, then all the other turtles combined. However he was also known to make mistakes when he allowed his anger to get the better of him.

I enjoyed using the sais myself and was looking forward to pitting my knowledge and skill of the sai against his.

Last of the group, though hardly the least, was the orange masked Michaelangelo he was efficient with his nunchuks using a great deal of creativity while he fought, he was agile and quick. He was often a little foolish in battle,when tensions mounted he was known to spout some joke or wise crack but he was a fool that could not be ignored simple because of his skill.

My father had once informed me that as a child I had been prone to such foolishness until I had learned proper respect and attitude towards my elders.

That was, my father had assured me, all to the good as he cared little for such shenanigans so it was just as well I had given it up.

Funny, I couldn't recall ever acting the fool for any body, nor did I see what such antics could do for the turtles, in such foolishness they could lose the battle.

After my review I honed my weapons to a sharp point and practiced before going to eat a light dinner of salad and rice with steamed vegetables.

The last few hours before the mission I meditated mentally preparing myself for what lay ahead, with that done I was ready.

Maybe with our enemies disposed of, once and for all, my father would be able to accept me better. I didn't really want his love, I knew he had none to give but he could accept me.

….

I was given ten of the Elite for the mission, all of them in the top rank, all highly skilled warriors. I also took a dozen regular Foot Soldiers to watch any possible exits for escapees or perhaps a member of the family coming home from somewhere else. The Foot Soldiers were to play guard and to pack any equipment we might need to keep our captives under control.

I felt we had more then what I needed for the true infiltration but I wasn't going turn down extra help on this mission either.

We entered the sewer close to their home and being watchful of any alarms to avoid setting them off and warning the turtles of the danger that was approaching them on silent cat like feet.

I booted in the door to their home, though the door itself was well disguised from most people who might be in the sewer, we knew exactly where it was.

A living room of sorts was set up in the pipe just a few feet from the door and the turtle called Raphael was sitting on the couch he turned to see us.

" Damn Leo we got company!" Raphael yelled as he leaped over the back of the couch in an instant, his weapons drawn trying to meet our charge by himself.

A female who also had been sitting on the couch stood up bending down to pick up a small turtle child who must have been playing on the floor hidden by the couch. The infant howled suddenly as it must of sensed the instant tension in the room.

Raphael was working full rage all ready determined to push us all back but there was too many of us, not enough of him.

One of the Elite dodged past jumping over Raphael while he was forced to deal with the crush from the rest of us, I sensed his panic as he turned his head in time to see the Elite run the child and woman through with his sword.

Leonardo and the others arrived at that moment while Raphael let out a roar, of pure anger and fury, it seemed he didn't appreciate the quick almost painless death the two had been given.

He lunged towards the soldier that had brought the two down as if determined to forget the rest of us if he could have just him.

I blocked his lunge and forced him to deal with me instead, his sais moved at a blinding pace, his face contorted into some cruel mask of hatred and anger. His intent was to kill me, I knew it but no matter what he tried with his sais he found that I could block almost every move he made.

It was as if, I knew his moves before he even had a chance to make them, it can happen like that in battle you get into synch with your opponent and you can almost pick up where he will go next. I knew my instincts were guiding me and continued to let them do so.

His anger turned to shock as my sais finally found enough of an opening to send his weapons flying from his hands well out of his reach.

I spun my sai expertly in my hand before bringing it up near his throat. " Don't even think about it" I warned, " Yukio may want you alive but he would rather you were dead then escaped to cause him trouble."

Raphael's only reply was a cold menacing sneer, which didn't look that ominous compared to the looks father often gave, and a low growl.

I responded instantaneously by knocking him out and calling for a Foot Soldier to secure him quickly.

I oversaw the job to ensure that he was stripped of his weapons and escape would be rather difficult to manage before turning to see where else I might be needed. So far I had suffered a few minor injuries in my battle with Raphael but my adrenalin was racing and I was ready for more action.

Michaelangelo was down and secured. Donatello looked like he would be that way very shortly, Leonardo, however, as was to be expected was holding his own.

I smiled as I sheathed my sai and plucked a pair of katana from the scabbards strapped to my carapace. I had a habit of keeping both weapons on me, as well as smaller weapons, and I tended to use whatever one I felt would work the best for me under the circumstances.

With so many of us working on Leonardo he soon was defeated and I called for ropes to bind his arms tight behind his back.

I then relieved him of all his weapons before further securing his arms to his sides by using handcuffs on his hands, and chains bound around his arms and sides then padlocked securely in place. He might not be totally defenceless but at the very least, he ought to be a bit more submissive.

A Foot Soldier dragged him to his feet and I saw his eyes narrow as he looked me over, as if startled to see a mutant turtle who was fighting against him, instead of with him.

I smirked a bit feeling rather amused at the short work we had made of them. Two of the Elite had been killed and one of the Foot had managed to get killed in the fray.

Other then that we had done a great job. Now it was just to ensure the rest of the orders were followed through I asked the Elite and some of the soldiers to search the home and take care of things. While I and three of the Elite kept watch over our captives in the living room. I felt it wasn't necessary to drag them along and make them watch any deaths that might have to be performed.

After the others had taken off to follow my orders I heard a small voice call timidly " Dad?"

I saw Leonardo's head jerk up at the voice and I whirled around to see a boy holding a bo staff and coming toward me a dark look etched on his face.

I grabbed the end of the staff firmly, dropping down using the boy's momentum and the bo staff as leverage to pick him up and send him flying hard to the ground.

" Little dragon has some fire does he?" I couldn't help mocking him " Don't worry Ryu your spark will soon go out."

He looked like a much younger version of Leonardo except for the fact he had five finger and toes like myself. He was about four foot eight in height. I grinned such a pity the boy hadn't inherited his father's common sense.

" Aiden?"

" Kali get back. Get out of here" the boy yelled in sudden panic.

The girl spun about to take off but one of the Elite caught her twisting her arm and forcing her forward.

Another Elite one obviously of Asian descent came up from another passage " A female and a group of children are being dispatched in a playground area that way" he informed me his accent noticeable.

I nodded briefly as I looked at the female turtle child. She had deep blue eyes three fingers and five toes a very human nose and mouth set in a turtle face, her skin was even lighter green then mine. She had long eyelashes and curly shoulder length blond hair. She was only four foot in height at the most.

I could smell the blood and feel the fear slowly drop to an almost steady calm though the four male turtles bowed their heads, as the fear became an unearthly stillness, which told all of us that they were all dead.

Another Elite and Foot soldier emerged from another passage off to the left this time they were dragging a woman, who looked like she had been resting for her eyes had a sleepy look to them.

She had blonde curly hair and green eyes and was clearly pregnant, at least if that slight bulge in her belly wasn't just fat, which I highly doubted.

As I eyed her I had the funny feeling that I somehow knew her name and how much she also meant to Leonardo. This was his wife, or as close to it as they could get I supposed and it seemed these two were their children with one on the way.

_How perfect!_ I thought. Course she would probably never have that child for I did have my orders.

I knew her name was Karena. I was a hundred percent certain of that fact though why I felt so sure when it was by no means in the Foot's Clan information about the turtles, I just couldn't explain.

The Foot were aware some humans were linked to the turtles but that was about as far as it went.

As I stood there staring at Karena the Asian Elite, who I happened to know was called Kuma for we had sparred on occasion, raised his blooded sword to dispatch the woman.

Leonardo yelled, the boy struggled and was hit hard by another of the Elite soldiers.

I moved fast, my own katana out as I blocked Kuma's killing blow I stared hard into his eyes, the only thing that showed through his face mask, most Elite didn't cover their faces but Kuma did due to his face being disfigured or so he said.

" Hold don't do it," I hissed.

" Master Sekora bid all but these four" with that Kuma gestured to the males " be killed."

" I am quite aware of our Master's orders but I think I know better what will please him. Leave her and the children, we will take them prisoner as well." I decided then and there.

" Our orders" Kuma began.

I glowered at him, the problem with even the Elite was they tended to follow orders to the letter never considering the options.

" I Kirra am the leader of this mission and I am the daughter of Master Sekora and heir to the leadership of the Foot Clan here in New York" I reminded Kuma, " Therefore you will obey** me** in this matter for I am sure Master Sekora may find them useful." I smiled a bit " If I am wrong in my assumption I will take full responsibility but you will do as you are ordered too."

He bowed low accepting my words " As you wish Kirra."

Pleased that I had put him in his place. I turned to our captives, I knew if I was wrong father would make me suffer for disobeying his orders but it was some thing I was willing to risk.

I ensured all of them were ready for travel as I moved near Raphael he spat at me. I wiped the offending warm glob off my face, then back handed him hard enough to jerk his head back on his neck.

" You will lose far more then your lives by the time we are done with all of you" I warned them as we moved out to head back, leaving the dead where they had fallen.

TBC


	3. Chapter Two: Rama?

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own the monopoly of the TMNT. I wish I did it would be fun to travel boardwalk, but I don't and so that is done so I don't have to go directly to jail.

**Chapter Two- Rama?**

**Kirra:**

One of the Elite went on ahead to insure that everything was prepared for when we arrived with our prisoners. I had no doubt in my mind that he would also be informing my father about the extras I was bringing back, which was in direct opposition of his orders.

I knew it was not wise to disobey any of my father's orders. I knew, what to expect from father on that count. Yet knowing my father as I did I felt that this time he would overlook my disobedience, after all with these three he could further torture Leonardo.

It didn't mean that I would be safe from repercussions however, for I was aware that father still might discipline me in some way if he accepted my 'gifts' to him. I just wouldn't suffer as badly if he decided that I had overstepped my bounds.

I tried not to dwell too much on these thoughts as we moved through the sewers, the safest way back.

" Mom, What is going to happen to us?" the young girl asked her voice quavering, as if on the verge of tears. She was probably only nine or ten years old while her brother had to be two years older.

" I don't know Kaliann" the woman replied uneasily.

I smirked " Trust me, you don't want to know what lies ahead for any of you because it won't be pleasant I can assure you of that much."

" What kind of turtle are you supposed to be anyways?" the boy demanded roughly. He had his head up with a determined look in his eyes.

He was a feisty thing, with plenty of spirit and spunk the name Ryu for dragon suited him well. He was no challenge for the likes of me however, so I had little or no interest in him.

I ignored him, much as I ignored Raphael's crude comments and challenges that he continually hurled my way. He wanted a rematch and he was so sure he could take me this time.

If I knew anything about my father, I am sure the red masked turtle would yet, get a chance to make good on his threats. Of course the outcome would be far different then what he had in mind or might hope for.

We made our way up out of the sewer and in through the back door, up the stairs and were greeted by a large mass of soldiers that had gathered to cheer our victory, and hurl insults at the captives. One of the soldiers leaned close telling me quietly to report immediately to Master Sekora's office.

I left the prisoners to the other soldiers care knowing they would be seen to before turning towards fathers office.

I had to climb up a few levels to his well ordered office. Father had a hardwood floor, there were a few very expensive Japanese paintings on the walls just behind his desk and to the left, there was always the smell of sandalwood from burning incense. To the right of the entry was his bookcase full of books and scrolls and a few well hidden cameras that monitored the room.

The cameras I knew were not the only hidden thing in father's office for he had many secret compartments and passages that ran through this building and others that he owned.

His dark cheery wood desk sat in the centre of the room, on it was a table top fountain and a bonsai plant. Plus a few chairs near the desk for father and anyone who had to meet with him.

I bowed deeply as I entered, " You wished to speak with me Master?"

" Why did you bring the others?" he snapped his dark eyes full of anger. " You had your orders Kirra didn't you understand them?" he yelled.

" I understood your orders clearly Master all but the four male turtles were to die." I replied.

" Precisely so." He fumed, " Yet you bring back that woman and two children, which I have no use of," he growled irritably.

You think after a victory he'd be a bit more cheerful but I knew that father demanded unquestioning obedience from everyone and I was no exception to that rule.

I took a deep calming breath knowing what I said now could make all the difference in the outcome.

" That woman and the children are the mate and offspring of Leonardo" I put a great deal of scorn in my tone as I spoke the turtle leader's name " I felt that you might be able to make more use of them alive as he is attached to them." I explained, " he also might be easier to handle if he fears that he may be placing their lives in jeopardy. Leo will suffer dearly if you choose to use those three against him."

I was watching father carefully and was able to see a small sinister smile creep across his face at my words.

_Good, he was listening._

" However if I have misjudged then I will correct it by killing them personally right now and making whatever amends you feel are justified" I concluded sincerely.

Father seemed to consider my words and I knew if that was truly the case then I might not have to fear a reprimand of any kind, but still I waited for his reply.

His dark smile grew and he looked almost devilishly pleased " Now Kirra I truly believe that you are **my** daughter."

I couldn't help but notice where he placed the emphasis on his words but it didn't really matter too much, for those words also meant that I was safe from any reprimand. My gift had pleased him, at the very least it ought to provide him with a few hours of entertainment.

He then sat down at his chair and gestured for me to sit as well for my debriefing session. I left the office after our talk and headed for the kitchen as I was suddenly ravenous.

The building we happened to occupy was a six story building, not much really in a city where almost all other buildings seemed to dwarf ours but it suited the Foot clan well, for though it was not tall it was a large wide building.

The ground floor was set up as a reputable business that of course father owned, he had a receptionist who was well paid to direct any customers to our services but also to turn the wrong people like police and other noisy sorts away.

The second floor was our kitchen and prison cell, as well as a couple larger dojos, the third floor was various practice, and meditation rooms, the fourth and fifth floor was sleeping areas for the Foot soldiers and Elite. The sixth floor was father's office bedroom and my bedroom.

I luckily didn't have to share sleeping quarters with any one else being the Master's daughter, even just an adopted one, did have its privileges.

Before I headed back up to my quarters for some rest I decided to look in on our prisoners.

In a way they fascinated me, for though they were my enemies they were so similar to me in looks that I could easily pass for one of them. I could easily understand now why my father could both love me for my skill and service I gave him, while at the same time loathing me. One could almost believe we were related.

That very thought disturbed me, for if I could think such a heinous thought then it would occur to others as well. I knew I wasn't related to them. I felt no kinship to these turtles. They were my enemies and I would rejoice to see them all dead.

I moved using great stealth becoming one with the air and the shadows, stilling my breath and emotions as I had no desire to alert any one to my presence.

The prison area had a wall near the door that one had to go around into the main prison area on the wall was an intercom and a tap and hose wound up neatly out of the way. It was a large room with two enclosed areas leaving a three foot concrete path between the two cells that ran along either wall.

At the far end of the room was a bathroom but such amenities were not in the cells themselves. There was a gutter that ran just under the wire bars along the path for refuse to be washed away from the cells.

Each of the long prison cells had ankle and wrist shackles in them and they were attached to the concrete wall by way of chains that we could put to any length we so choose, or we could allow a prisoner complete freedom of the cell they were in.

The males shackled in both wrist and ankle shackles had enough room to move a few small steps side to side but not enough to permit a hard or good front kick, their hands could only move a bit where they were strapped almost against the wall.

The female and children had been given a bit more liberty they were chained, but they had more freedom to move around they could almost reach the front bars of their cell.

The bars on each cell were spaced so one could almost, get two fingers through them but not much more and even that would be a tight squeeze.

The three guards that stood watched were armed with guns any move by the turtles to slip free of the shackles would end in the turtles death before he could break free of the cell. They were here until we grew tired of them.

I stayed behind the wall able to observe without being seen, I could see the two children huddled close to their mother seeking comfort from her. The girl was sobbing softly in her mother's arms. While she crooned quietly to both of them offering what she could.

For a moment I found myself longing to be that young girl. I recalled when I had been younger and sought comfort from my father on some thing or another he would push me away rebuking me harshly " I have no time to coddle you Kirra. You must become strong and independent. Such behaviour will make you weak."

So I learned to stuff such feelings down and rely on myself. Until I saw this and suddenly that old yearning to be held and comforted came back. Yes I was weak and had to admit to my own failings.

I saw Leonardo raise his head and look my way, though there was no way he could have seen me I knew it was fully possible for him to sense me.

" It's okay Kali don't cry. Dad will get us out of here and until he does I'll make sure no one hurts you or mom." The boy vowed with deep conviction.

His mother smiled and kissed his forehead causing the boy to make a face.

" You are so brave Aiden what would we do without you?" she wondered.

Leonardo turned to look across at his family I could feel his concern for them as well as his fears, those feelings were clear and easy to read even above the deep grief and sorrow that enveloped them all.

I watched as he tested the shackles binding him almost immediately the guards shifted their weapons locking it on him, he quickly desisted.

I smiled a bit I knew my enemies like I myself, had been trained in the old way, with strong emphasis on fighting and proper ninja skills of infiltration, espionage and the like. They were ninja warriors.

The Foot Clan in America was trained haphazardly in fashion, they were not instructed as thoroughly, nor did they practice as diligently meaning they were no more then skilled assassins. They were not true ninja, not by any stretch of the imagination. Which also explained why they had so often failed to best the turtle clan.

" Any ideas Leo?" Raph asked.

" Not yet" Leonardo sighed as if he had heard this question before.

" Donny?" Raphael asked almost hopefully.

" Not in the last two minutes" the turtle in purple replied a bit testily as if irritated at the question.

" Mike. Hey Mikey you still with the rest of us?" Raphael demanded he tried to reach his brother but the chains that bound him wouldn't permit it.

" Yeah I was just thinking of that turtle who was fighting with the Elite." Mike mumbled.

Seemed I had made a good first impression.

" The one who called herself Yukio's daughter, the new heir to the Foot?" Raphael asked, " Man I'd love to get my hands on her that good for nothing." He set off with a long string of curse words.

I strolled around the corner " It is a pity you can't fight as good as you curse," I mocked, " Enjoying our hospitality I see. Trust me this" I paused giving a fiendish grin as I gestured at the cells " is as good as it gets for you."

" I bet your nothing without the Elite to back you up. You are going to pay for what you did to our family." Raph snarled bits of spit flying from his mouth, he jerked on the chain and gnashed his teeth while glowering at me.

" On the contrary you will be the ones paying from here on in and when we feel we have received sufficient payment then you will be released from your life and pathetic existence." I replied.

" What about them?" Leo asked gesturing towards his family as best he could. " You can do whatever you want to us just please let them go."

I laughed then snorted in contempt of his offer, if you could call it that " So they can get revenge on the Foot at a later date?" I shook my head " No I don't think so. See we have very special plans for your little wife and darling children."

I saw a light flash in his eyes momentarily and I knew I had scored a hit on the, so called, fearless leader and couldn't help but gloat over my success.

Michaelangelo suddenly looked my way " Rama why are you doing this to us? Don't you even know who we are?" he asked in such a way that told me, that he knew who I was, or he thought he did at any rate. Even though I had never seen him or his family except in the files the Foot clan had on them.

" I know who you are. You are my enemy," I answered quickly dismissing his questions.

Though a part of me wondered what this word Rama was and what it meant. It clearly meant some thing to the foolish turtle.

Some part of me deep inside seemed to respond to that word Rama, as if some thing some where had been lying dormant and with the word decided to stir and wake, though I couldn't figure out why I would respond to it.

Raphael looked towards his brother shaking his head " Mike no way in hell is that Ramiela. Rama is dead. This little bitch is going be joining her soon as I can get my hands on her." Raph threatened.

" We will see who finishes who first" I hissed before leaving them to their own company and their desperation.

I scowled my brow furrowing as I puzzled over the name Rama, or Ra-ma-la on the way to my room, I had a feeling the name could also be pronounced Ra-me-la. I knew that Rama had to be a shorter version of that name. Much as the turtles called Leonardo Leo, or Donatello Don and so on.

The name Rama did seem so familiar to me like I **had** heard it somewhere before but I couldn't begin to connect it to any specific place or time in my past.

The Foot soldiers moved out of my way parting before me as I walked. They didn't bother acknowledging me and I couldn't be bothered acknowledging them. For one thing they were beneath me, besides my mind was elsewhere trying to make heads or tails of that foolish name Rama.

I continued to hit into a brick wall and that only seemed to peak my interest in resolving the matter in my mind. It just bothered me, like knowing the name of Leo's mate without hearing it or being told bothered me.

Then there was that strange feeling that I had gotten when I heard Michaelangelo say the name Rama, he had spoken with such love and sorrow, as if trying to reach me with his voice alone.

I had suddenly felt like…well it is hard to explain or describe, but it felt familiar to me and I had the strangest urge rise up within me coming from out of nowhere and vanishing almost as quickly.

It had been there and then gone again in a flash in less time then it took to blink an eye it had been born shrivelled and died leaving only an uncomfortable feeling that it might be far wiser to ignore Mike's talk about Rama.

But I couldn't deny that for the tiniest fraction of a second, for the briefest of moments, I had felt that I should call him daddy.

I wanted now just to forget the name Rama but I knew it wouldn't be happening any time soon.

**Michaelangelo:**

I watched her leave, as if she was all of a sudden afraid to stay.

I knew exactly who she was. I didn't know how she had fallen into Yukio Sekora's hands but I had been watching her ever since her return in my life. I was slowly putting all the pieces together and I had a fairly good idea of the how and why of the matter.

Oh, she had changed over the years, I knew she would.

She had grown taller, more physically fit, more muscled and more beautiful.

After all these pain filled years, the long torturous nightmares, the waiting, the doubts, the hoping and the praying I had finally found my daughter. I was both overjoyed and crushed.

Problem was she didn't even seem to know us or recognize us in any way. I found that so hard to believe.

" Mike that isn't Rama you must know that" Leo spoke softly.

" It **is** here Leo. Look at her hair and those eyes and her facial features. There is Shay in that face." I argued.

" Lots of people can share similar features Mike it is possible this is a different mutant turtle." Don disputed carefully. " So don't get your hopes up."

I sensed that Don and Leo both knew what I did that it was Rama and not some strange mutant turtle. Don's words had been full of sorrow though.

" What about the markings on her shell Don?" I shot back knowing that was evidence alone of her heritage.

I knew in the world of turtles that each turtle's shell was unique and distinctive as a finger print of a human. No two turtles shared the exact same markings and colouration, not even when they were of the same species.

If I was aware of that information then Don, also had to know it. His refusal to respond verified it.

" Besides we all know that Yukio spent a great deal of time out of the country and has his own private jet. He could easily get Rama out of the country with no one the wiser. He probably had her in Japan the whole time we were looking for her." I argued.

Karena shook her head " I don't think Rama would hurt us though Mike. I don't believe she would forget us and try to kill our family." Karena sputtered a bit before shaking her head in denial.

" Karena if she has been raised by the Foot for nine years well…" I began.

Don cut me off " That is just it Mike. You are thinking of Rama like she is still your little girl, but she is **not** and you can't think of her like that. It is too dangerous" Don gave me a deeply pained regretful look. " To survive as long as she has means she had to become a Foot Soldier Mike anything Rama may have retained about being your daughter is dead and gone" Don sympathized " You have to let her go Mike because I have no doubt in my mind that she will kill us all if she is told to. She will even kill you Mike." Don sniffed and bowed his head looking away from me.

Leo sighed wearily " Then we have no choice but accept the fact that she is not Ramiela. That mutant turtle is our enemy" Leo declared.

I couldn't believe that. Didn't want to believe it. After all this time I had found Rama only to lose her. I was from here on in to look at her as my enemy who hated me and I should hate her.

Deep inside though I knew I couldn't do any of that. She was my daughter and she needed my help.

TBC

Lioness- Goddess: I intend to 'try' to post about twice a week on this and my other rewrite The Legacy while hopefully posting once a week on my one other story. So just be patient and you will learn what lies ahead as obviously you haven't read the original. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Sorry can't change the violence too much or it wouldn't be the dark fic that it is. When you walk through darkness there is one thing I have learned you are never truly alone. I swear though this is the last time I am going do this story though as it can depress me too. That is why doing the Legacy and Flights at the same time helps. It gives me a break from the darkness. Yea though I walk through the valley of shadows I will fear no evil…

A gratitude for your insight.


	4. Chapter Three: Only Hope

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Three - Only hope 

**Michaelangelo:**

I lapsed back into silence my thoughts focused on my daughter, I was thrilled to know she was alive, to know my firm belief that she hadn't died was actually true, but of course I was hurting inside as well considering the fact that while she was alive she had fallen into a terrible place.

I also hurt with grief for the family members that had died back at home in the infiltration, I knew my brothers had lost so much and I could relate to their pain, especially after all the years of not having Rama in my life. They however knew the truth of the slaughter there was no escaping that.

Though we all hurt, grieved for the lost the fallen we did not show our feelings to the Foot soldiers, Karena and the twins grieved more openly, but that was to be expected, we would not let our enemies know how badly they had hurt us with that blow.

I thought about Rama because at the moment it was better then thinking of all the death, pain and suffering.

I figured somewhere within Rama had to be some memories of us, and the time she had spent living with us. Seven years of her life just couldn't vanish. If we could get her to remember enough about us there was a very remote possibility that she would help us.

I could at the very least hope for that, couldn't I?

I was slightly amused to see that she carried both sais and katanas on her wielding both like a pro. Of course Rama as a child had shown a strong interest in Raph's sais, so strong was her interest in that weapon she would sneak Raph 's weapons right out from his belt and under his beak.

Then when Leo started training her to sword work and she handled a sword for the first time she was filled with a wild excitement.

My mind drifted back to a night when I had been tucking her into her bed when she had been a little over six, as usual we had our evening talk, which I always enjoyed having with her.

She was sitting up in bed the blankets folded around her legs, her pillows supporting her back, her face scrunched up a bit as she asked " Daddy you want me to chuck like you right?"

I smiled at her from where I sat at the foot of her bed " I wouldn't mind if you took up the nunchuku Rama but you get to pick the weapon you like and want to use." I informed her kindly.

" You get mad if I don't chuck?" She asked me then, she was watching me with a keen eye as if trying to read my true feelings about the subject though she didn't have that sort of skill as of yet.

" No Rama love I won't get mad." I promised, " Besides you have to learn how to use the chuks as part of your training. It is not good to become overly familiar with one weapon" I told her " you should learn how to use all weapons and that is how you will be taught."

Rama nodded, " That why you often practice with different weapons right?"

I agreed that it was exactly the point " Rama there is nothing wrong with the sai, it is a good weapon in its own right." I assured her.

" I likes ka-tanas too daddy" she chirped a large smile growing across her face her eyes shining.

I laughed " The katana is a lot of sword for a girl your age."

" Yeah but daddy if I learn on small swords I'll grow into katanas right?"

" Yes Rama" I confirmed reaching out to touch her face.

I sighed a bit wistfully at that memory, it was the first time I had heard of Rama's interest for a weapon other then the sai. Now years later she had both weapons on her. A sign that possibly I was right we could, just maybe reach her.

I had to wonder what had happened to her sense of humour she used to play practical jokes on all of us and her laughter had been infectious at times. She didn't look like she laughed much any more, there was not even a hint of humour or teasing in her voice or eyes. The only teasing she did now was harsh, cruel bitter sarcasm and biting remarks.

Oh she had changed so much, I couldn't deny that, Rama was now like the man she called father.

I hadn't missed the deep scars that ran along her arms and legs when she had stood outside our cell mocking us. When or where had she collected those marks, some of them were quite old.

I knew for a fact she hadn't earned them in battle against us. Most likely Yukio had caused them somehow, which caused me to think why would Rama serve that man when he had hurt her.

Maybe he had ordered some one else to cause them and then _saved _her earning a young Rama's gratitude.

I scowled maybe Rama truly had forgotten us at least right now, she probably didn't recall much about us but that didn't mean it had to remain that way. She would, she could remember us with a little help. There had to be some thing that I could say or do that might trigger a memory from deep within her.

Once she knew who we were she wouldn't hurt us, how could she when she would then know, that we were her own family?

I was determined to jostle her memory because, if nothing else, I wanted my daughter away from the Foot and far from Yukio. Most of all I wanted her back in my life. I had missed enough years of her in my life as it was. Besides the Foot had warped and twisted her enough.

I looked over to Karena, Aiden and Kaliann as they huddled in their cell. Karena holding her children close to her, trying her best to be brave and not show fear. I wondered if Rama had somehow recalled enough to know them.

Sure the twins had only been two when she disappeared but Karena had always been the closest thing to a mother Rama had ever had. She was also the only human to rate an '_I love you,'_ from Rama.

Rama had been gone before her other aunts and cousins arrived so she wouldn't have known them, perhaps that was why she had spared their lives, out of a simple memory.

If she could recall things even in a vague disoriented way then she might be able to remember her life with us.

Sure it was a long shot but I knew we might not have a great deal of time left to us. We knew Yukio would want to torture and gloat over us for a while, but after he grew bored of that he'd have us killed. Knowing that it was easy to figure out there wasn't many plans we could come up with that might see us all safely out of Foot central.

To get out alive we needed help if only to get away from the cell and these guards who watched over us ready to shoot if we twitched the wrong way. I'd sooner trust the help Rama might offer us then the help of any other Foot Soldier.

I smiled inwardly, my daughter had truly become a powerful kunoichi, who just might be able to challenge and better Leo in the ninjitsu department but I kept that feeling to my self knowing the rest of my family would not care for the sense of pride I had towards her.

If Splinter had still been alive he would no doubt disown her from the clan for turning against her family no matter what the circumstances had been that had caused the betrayal in the first place.

" I got a plan" Raph suddenly declared intruding on my thoughts. He was on my right side, my left side was closest to the door to our cell, then after Raph was Leo and then Don at the far end of the cell.

" What is your plan Raph?" Leo asked arching his eye ridge. He was at the moment open to suggestions, and trying to keep things low to not alert the guards.

" We get the fuck out of here and I kick that damn bitch's ass out of her shell" Raph snapped loudly.

The guards chuckled as if they found that statement funny.

" Yeah I'll help" Aiden cheered getting out of his mom's embrace and walking over to where he could see us better.

" The day I need help from a kid like you…" Raph muttered darkly.

" Good plan Raph but I think it is lacking a bit in the detail department" Leo replied casually.

" Aw Leo you let yourself get bogged down in details let's just go for it." Raph insisted keeping his tone light.

" NO!" Leo refused flatly as he looked up and across the way to Karena and the twins.

The banter had been enough to try and lighten the desperation we all felt but at the same time, hopefully, cover a bit of mental communication between one another.

Leo would of course, decline any plan that might end up endangering his wife and children.

I bowed my head and listened to Raph complain and rant on about any number of things, blaming Leo for not acting, and not wanting to sit in a cell and rot. Mostly he was spoiling for a fight.

Raph didn't like being bested in battle and to be thrashed by a female, kunoichi or otherwise still rubbed him the wrong way.

I sent my only plan to Leo through silent means while Raph continued his fit _' If we can get Rama to help us.'_ I suggested.

_' No Mike. She helped destroy our clan we can't trust her.'_ He looked my way and I could feel that his eyes and mental tone were firmly telling me to drop it.

_' Leo she might…'_ I protested.

_' **Forget it Mike!**_' the tone left no room for dispute _'we gave her the basics, the foundation of her training. The Foot gave her everything else.' _His tone became sympathetic and full of regret _' I'm sorry Mike but it is too late to consider it. It has just been too long for her.'_

Kaliann raised her head a puzzled expression on her face, " Rama?" She said softly " Isn't that the name of our cousin who disappeared?" she asked hesitantly. " That mean turtle lady isn't really your daughter Uncle Mike, she can't be she is nothing like you." Kaliann insisted then another thought must have occurred to her " Is she going kill us like she did to…" She sniffed and started to cry her small frame shaking.

Karena pulled Kali closer hugging her tighter " Rama was your cousin once long ago Kali but trust me that turtle isn't Rama, it couldn't be you see, because Rama would never hurt any of us." She soothed seeking to comfort Kali.

Her words stung at me though for it meant that I was truly alone. I was the only one to believe in Rama.

In all the years she had been lost to me I refused to give up hope. I was sure I would see her again. Now that I found her I didn't want to turn my back on her and deny her existence.

Besides we didn't have many options open to us and I had to keep faith in Rama because I felt in my heart that she truly was our only hope. We would survive only if she chose to help us.

**Kirra:**

I woke from a fitful nights sleep feeling anything but well rested.

After everything that I had managed to accomplish last evening I ought to be feeling some pride, or more confident and sure of myself. After all I had done what was suppose to be impossible, I had captured the four ninja turtles and brought them to captivity a feat few others in the Foot clan could claim.

When we finally killed them, and that day would come, the Foot would flourish with no one to stand in our way of achieving all we desired. The American Foot Clan would become a force to reckon with.

On that day father would make me his second in command, something he had promised me, often telling me that by then I would have proven my true worth and no one could oppose my place.

So everything was going according to plan, all was as it should be.

So why did I feel so empty? As if I had lost everything of importance instead of being so much closer to all I desired and wanted?

I heard Michaelangelo's words ringing in my mind _' Rama why are you doing this don't you know who we are?'_

I knew who they were, just thinking about them caused an intense hatred to well up from inside of me, they were my enemies. I had been trained to hate them and destroy them. Yet his question seemed to beg for a different answer, as if I was something to them, or should be.

They weren't a part of my life. I owned nothing to them!

They had not found me in the lab where I was being tortured and hurt on a daily basis, almost killed in the lab. No it had been father who found me, saved me then took me for training in Japan.

Michaelangelo was only trying to deceive me. He wanted me to think, or believe that I had known them so I would feel some pity for their fate. After all I was like them, I suppose it was only natural for my enemy to play upon such things, using it to their advantage.

I realized then that father was right these turtles were truly evil and deceitful beings and they had a great deal of nerve to try such a ninja mind trick with me.

What they didn't know was I hated deceivers and liars. I don't know why I did, I only knew that intense anger came to me whenever I found anyone who lied to me. It was an anger I could control and was aware of but I could never stop it from warning me of those who sought to deceive me.

Michaelangelo's trick was not going work. In fact I felt my ire at him rising for trying to dupe me. I clenched my hands into tight fists at my side, my eyes narrowing to slits, oh I would relish the chance to teach him a lesson.

No body messed with me and got away with it, for I had learned to be as hard and cruel as my father was.

Perhaps when they were dead and could throw out no more lies, I would then feel the accomplishment that I now lacked.

I vowed to lose no more sleep over my enemies and to pay no further attention to Michaelangelo and his deceptive words.

TBC

Lioness- Goddess: Well I am very glad to hear you are enjoying both the Rama stories I am re-writing there are quite a few other Rama stories. I plan on re-writing at least three more of them. A Bond of friendship, Therefore I am, and the sequel to The Enemy ' A Sense of Family.' Yeah you can look ahead if you want for now until I remove the sequel for the re-write. There are many others that I am just leaving as is. A Gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: I'm impressed you are doing well. Next chapter I'll warn you now torture scenes, actually I think next two chapters involve torture scenes. So cringe, look away, skim through those bits what ever it takes. Rama/Kirra's confusion isn't going get much better, main reason for the re-write is to delve into her confusion a bit more. Yes the others do all recognize her as ' Rama" but they have accepted what Mike can't seem to find in his heart to do so. A gratitude for your insight.


	5. Chapter Four: Lesson

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter four – Lesson 

**Kirra:**

I knew that today father would start the fun and games with our prisoners. Others might even get a chance to join in the games that was if father was in a generous mood.

As it was morale and the spirit of the Foot clan itself was running high with our victory from the night before.

I was working out with a group of Foot Soldiers in one of our practice rooms, when father entered it was clear, to me, at least that he wanted to speak with me so I decided to finish up the session by defeating the remaining soldiers, then bowing curtly to them before going over to father who didn't seem too pleased by the other soldier's efforts.

He gestured for me to follow him after giving them some sharp orders to keep at their practice.

I fell into step slightly behind him and to his right watching him attentively as we strode into the halls. I didn't ask but waited instead for him to speak.

" I want you to give a lesson to Raphael." He informed me a minute or so later.

" Any instructions before I start?" I asked giving a wicked grin at the prospect of being allowed to 'play' with the aggressive turtle a bit more.

I recalled all too well Raphael's longing to fight. His strong desire to kill me for all I had done to his family. I knew that he was the sort who would want the upper hand in any battle and the fact that he had failed meant it would eat away at him, causing him to want revenge.

I was aware that he had far more years of training and experience then I had under me. However I was very confident in my own skills and training. Besides he could provide me the sort of challenge that I rarely received from the Foot Soldiers.

I knew I would have to take precautions to ensure he did not escape during his lesson but I also wanted to justify my father's faith in me.

I knew father wanted the turtle tortured it was his part of his plan to make them suffer before we granted them their final peace in a sleep they'd never get a chance to wake from.

As his daughter, I knew, that I was fully expected to do almost as good of a job as father himself.

I now waited eagerly for father's reply so I knew how far I was to go.

" Do whatever you wish. Hurt him cause him extreme pain and suffering but try not to break any bones just yet." He insisted after some contemplation, " I want him around for a time so do not injure him too badly."

I nodded no fatal wounds or bone breaking otherwise I was free to do as I pleased.

" By the way Kirra I want you free this afternoon when I take on the leader of their clan." Father stated.

" That I would want to see anyways Master" I admitted quite honestly.

I felt honoured to get a chance at Raphael and I wondered if I'd get a chance to lesson the leader as well at a later date in time.

I'd love to be responsible for bringing the leader to his knees making him beg and plead for mercy while granting him none of it. However I knew that father was most likely going keep Leonardo for himself.

Father dismissed me and went on his way. I eagerly decided to get the lesson started so headed for the prison.

When I entered the hold area I noticed that Michaelangelo was all ready missing, which meant someone else had probably taken him for a lesson as well. Father was in an extremely generous mood to allow others to join in on the lessons.

The guards gave a slight bow my way and one of them came over unlocking the male's cell for me handing me the keys to unshackle my victim.

I walked past Michaelangelo's empty spot and paused, out of reach, in front of Raphael.

" Looks like I get to see if you are any better today then you were yesterday." I smirked.

" I'd like to do to you what your friend did to Serena and Kei" he growled at me.

" I might give you that chance" I smiled slightly, " I like a challenge I just don't get much of it around here." I confessed.

" I ain't surprised" Raph grumped.

I closed the gap moving fast but as I moved in he kicked out, I dropped down and grabbed the chain jerking it forward causing it to trip him and send him back where he ended up banging his head slightly on the wall.

" Your stupidity and your anger tell me that you will not be much of a threat to me at all." I muttered as I knocked him out with a hard blow.

I looked at the guards who had been enjoying the show " One of you go call a few soldiers in here to help me get him to a spare practice room."

" Right away Kirra" one of the guards acknowledged.

I released the shackles from off the turtles wrist and ankles before securing his hands behind his back. I kept my senses alert to his every move just in case he was trying to fool me by faking an unconscious state in hopes of luring me in to a subtle trap. I wasn't about to let Raphael get the drop on me.

I felt a cold penetrating gaze locked on me. I raised my head slightly arching my eye ridge at Leonardo, meeting his stare with one of my own.

" Don't worry father wants to play with you later" I smirked at him.

" Where is there honour in harming innocent people, or in killing defenceless children? Where is there honour in torturing us to please your own sadistic whims?" He demanded sharply.

" You can worry about honour Leonardo. The Foot just want revenge for all the pain and the suffering you have caused us over the years. Trust me, we are owed and **we** will take full payment." I informed him briskly, " Don't tell me that you are still thinking about **them!"** I grumped jerking my thumb back in the direction of the other cell. I was right to spare their lives to cause him more suffering.

" Tell me noble leader" I mocked him " How close is she to delivering her baby? I don't know much about pregnancies but she doesn't look too far along. Three months is my guess."

His eyes turned icy " Leave her **Alone"** he hissed.

I smiled " For now. None of our people ought to touch her without father's permission" I replied, " you ought to be grateful for that, as some of the soldiers here would love to take their liberty with such a fine lady." I hinted, " then again there are those foolish enough who might try to play with her even without father's permission."

He saw what I meant and his face turned truly dark and ominous he trembled for control while I stayed out of his reach and laughed at him, the guards joining in on my little joke, also laughed at his expense.

By then the Foot I had requested had arrived and I turned to them as the guards unlocked the cell door for them to enter.

I kicked Raphael's foot as I passed by to lead the way " Bring him and follow me. I have need of your services." I stated sharply.

We went to one of the smaller practice rooms where the soldiers almost threw the turtle to the floor. I tapped one of the four soldiers who had come to assist me.

" You go and retrieve me an electric whip and bring it back here quickly." I barked my command.

" Yes Kirra" he replied bowing before hurrying out the door to do my bidding.

The electric whip was a combination, of an electric prod and a whip. The whip had a long lash that conducted the electricity out of the whip and into what ever the lash touched.

The whip handle had a small control that could set the electricity from a low to very high setting. Of course the electricity could also be turned off from that control as well.

It was a device my father had some foot scientist design for him many years back and it was often one of his favourite tools.

I removed the chains off the turtle who was starting to stir, I hoped he wouldn't wake least not just yet. By the time the chains were off the soldier had returned handing me the whip.

I quickly turned the power on and checked the setting before giving the turtle a taste of it. His eyes snapped open suddenly and he lunged to his feet, casting a glance around the room before rubbing slightly at the soar spot on his arm.

I clicked the weapon off and tossed it back to the soldiers who were by now standing guard by the door.

" Set it on high and use it on him if he tries to leave this room at any time." I ordered loudly enough so that he would also knew what lay in store if he made an attempt to escape.

Raphael leered slightly " Trust me I ain't leavin' this room till you are dead and I've mounted your shell on the wall."

I smiled at his threat " Funny my father wants to do the same to you." I admitted, " Here you seem to be missing something" I stated as I tossed him my sais, which he plucked as in mid fall twirling them expertly in his hands.

I reached behind pulling my katanas and took a relaxed stance as I allowed him to make the first move.

He gripped my sais tightly in his hands and advanced with caution towards me a cold, hunter's stare in his eyes.

Good, he was being wary and that meant he wasn't likely to do some thing foolish to throw our match away. Perhaps this fight would be worthwhile especially if he had gained enough knowledge to control his temper.

" You killed most of our family" he snarled.

I smirked " Don't feel too bad now for I do intend on finishing the job." I said sweetly rather amused by his attitude. He ought not to be thinking of what I had done before, far better for him to think of what I might do to him now.

He slashed out with his left and I blocked the move with ease, his right hand flickered slightly and my sword came down intercepting the strike. For a while there was only the sound of metal striking metal as we tested one another.

He often tried to lure me out in hopes of providing an opening for him to get the first blow but I was not easily drawn into his feints and ruses. We circled each other, predator and prey, but at this moment in time it was almost impossible to tell which was which.

I began to push him harder demanding that he either dig deeper, work harder or suffer the consequences as I began a series of quick strikes beating time with my blades, his sais whirled blocking every move as he met my challenge.

I smiled this was what I had been hoping for and now sensing that I was close I decided it was time to move beyond the kids game of testing each other out. If I wanted a child's game I would challenge the foot to a match. I wanted and expected more from him.

A sword tip snuck past his defence drawing a scratch along the upper arm but he used the left handed sai to trap the blade pushing it up and away.

As if finding new strength from some where deep inside he began to go on the attack, his sai flashing wildly forcing me to back peddle and give ground to him. Now I had to work harder for I could feel his anger and irritation rising and I knew that it fuelled his hits. I fell into a meditative state that allowed me to sense his moves before he made them matching his blows with calm, controlled energy.

His anger was growing and I decided I had enough of our match for the time being, especially as I had a lesson to give yet. Now I made a move matching it to the flow of the blows he was already landing I caught the sais with ease on my sword's blades and forced the weapons from his hand disarming him quickly almost effortlessly.

He flipped back out of my way and made a dash for the sais where they had landed.

I shrugged indifferently. Far as I was concerned I had all ready won this match by disarming him. I gestured for the electric whip as I sheathed my katanas.

The Foot receptive to my needs tossed the weapon my way I caught it and checked the setting on the handle turning it slightly higher, until I could hear the faint hum and crackle of the electricity in the whip.

I snapped the whip out hard and it wrapped about his wrist the jolt o electricity travelling up his arm causing him to release the sai he had managed to get.

" Fuck!" he roared in pain.

I drew the whip back again allowing it to crack back out this time the lash hit his cheek " Learn some respect" I demanded sharply.

" Kutabatchimae" he responded with a growl. ( Go to hell.)

" Iie akutai kame kichgaijimita." I scolded him ( No bad language insane turtle.)

Really, I had spent most of my life in Japan did he think that I would not know the language of my home?

I kept whipping him driving the lash out over and over, listening to the almost soothing hum of the electricity as it sang between us. I knew the blows I gave him were painful. It showed not just in the welts and the burn marks that I scored on his thick hide but in other ways as well. Eight times out of ten the lash was able to find unprotected skin.

At first he tried to avoid the whip's blows but now the constant jolts of electricity seemed to be slowing him down.

He collapsed to the floor his body jerking in spasms, panting heavily and gritting his teeth against the pain. I continued to lash at him until I heard the slightest whimper escape from his throat.

I smiled in victory but continued to beat him as he began to curse me in numerous languages before finally gasping " Stop please, or just kill me damn it!"

I relaxed stopping the blows now that I had achieved what I had wanted. I had broken him mentally and physically. He would know that he had asked for my mercy and that it was either in my power to grant it or not. The very fact that he had asked for it, would eat away at him, for he was not the sort to ask for clemency of any kind from his enemies.

I walked over to him slowly to stand over him where he lay in a silent crumpled heap. I placed a well aimed kick into a tender spot between the carapace and plastron where the shell gave no protection.

His head jerked around and his eyes shot open blazing the defiance and hatred that Raphael still held.

I was shocked for I felt sure that I had beat him into submission but realized his ability to regroup gave me yet another chance to topple him.

" I think I know whose shell will be the trophy on the wall" I remarked almost pleasantly.

He grunted and tried to get to his feet though he was still weak and I knocked him back to the ground with little effort on my part.

" I think when I transport you back to your cell. I will have you chained and dragged so any Foot Soldier along the way can kick you, stomp on you spit at you, or anything else they might please to do to you." I decided.

He growled at me as I laughed.

" Don't worry I won't let them hurt you too much just enough to hopefully teach you how to respect your masters" I paused " Kiekei." (freak). I concluded.

Somehow I knew that word would get him going " Ama jama shimaide" he spat at me in a fury. (fuck off bitch)

He would learn or he would die in the learning. That was the whole point of giving lessons after all.

I don't think he cared one bit for the gauntlet he was dragged through the Foot most definitely enjoyed the fun I permitted them at the turtles expense.

Word seemed to spread quickly and there was a mass of soldiers pushing and shoving for a chance to get at Raphael as he was dragged by. They did all I had said and much more some took spears or swords and cut at him as well, and I permitted it.

By the time we entered the prison and gave the guards their shot at him, just to keep everything fair, he had given up on voicing any obscenities.

The young girl looked at her uncle her hands clenching the metal bars " Oh Uncle" she gasped upon seeing him flinching visibly as the guards had their amusement.

I finally got him back into his place in the cell and backed away warily making sure not to give him an opening, though I felt that even if I had presented one that he was in no mood to take me up on it.

I noted as I left the males cell that the female and children had some fruit and plastic water bottles in their cell. Obviously father saw no need to starve them, however the males weren't as lucky.

This was yet another form of torture, the males could see the food, smell it and yet would be denied it. There was no possible way even for the woman and children to pass any of their bounty over to the other turtles.

I had noticed that Leonardo and Donatello were both missing from the males cell but Michaelangelo had been returned and chained up, he was sitting propped up against the wall, clearly unconscious who ever had lessoned him had done an exceptional job of it, judging from fresh bruises and other cuts and injuries.

I went over to look in at the female and children " Take a good long look children and remember this is what happens to those who dare to cross us and show no respect for the Foot Clan." I let a small smile play about my face " Learn that lesson well" I advised them coldly.

The girl trembled she gave a large swallow and backed slowly away from the front of the cage but the boy came forward placing himself between her and I. He crossed his arms over his plastron and glowered at me.

As I turned to leave I noticed something from the corner of my eye and whipped around in time to see a peach pit strike the bars and drop to the floor.

It might very well be fun teaching the little Ryu a lesson as well, I thought to myself as I turned and left them on silent feet.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: I lied there is no torture scene in chapter five but there is a torture scene in six. Yes Mike does have quite a challenge ahead of him self as to who might fully win this contest well time will tell. I really didn't want to give names to the dead especially as they were going be killed quickly. A gratitude for your insight.


	6. Chapter Five: Yukio's daughter

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Five – Yukio's Daughter 

**Michaelangelo:**

I hurt everywhere; I couldn't even move a finger or toe without feeling pain. About the only thing I was sure of was I hadn't suffered any broken bones, as of yet, though I knew that what I had been put through was only the start and an omen of what I could expect later on.

I was keeping my head resting on the cool concrete wall behind me because it seemed to help a little. Not much but every little bit was worth it.

I moaned wearily, exhausted and spent and wanting desperately to forget the games the Elite soldier had put me through. I slowly opened one eye a crack to see Raph was back, hadn't even heard anyone come in. Yeah okay, I was definitely out of it.

Raph looks at the current moment sort of matched the way I felt.

" Have fun with your Elite Raph?" I managed to croak.

" Elite hell, you must have been unconscious Mike" Raph replied staring vehemently out at the guards. " Rama did this to me" Raph finished glancing my way.

Seemed I had been out of it in more ways then one. I might not recall being unconscious but I should have heard Rama coming in with Raph.

" Your sweet little daughter is any thing **But!**" Raph declared.

" You forgot innocent Raph" I corrected weakly, " Sweet innocent little daughter." I amended for him.

" That Elite must have really hit you too hard in the head Mike, Rama was never innocent" Raph muttered.

I smiled wistfully " You were partly to blame Raph. After all you always encouraged her to act up, get into trouble and break the rules. Like when you got her to call Leo a baka."

Raph grinned and chuckled " Well he is!" Then he sobered as a look of deep pain and sincere regret crossed his face " Mike I hate to say it. I know what you want but I don't think it is going happen bro." Raph paused, " Leo and Don are right she's not really Rama not anymore."

I raised my eyes to look into his dark orbs and opened my mouth ready to deny his words.

Raph slashed one hand slightly to one side, or at least as far as the chain would permit as he cut me off " The Foot have gone and made her into some thing, someone else. She has no love for us" Raph explained, " Hell she doesn't even know who we are any more Mike. You know how she used to love me. Look at me!" He ordered.

I did seeing the welts the bruises, the wounds open and bleeding and it was a sad chilling sight to see.

" If she can do this to me with not a hint of remorse, or recognition then trust me, she is fully willing to kill us all." Raph insisted.

"Seven years of her life just can't vanish Raph," I protested, " She might not know us right now but she **can**" I pleaded with him.

Mostly because I couldn't believe that it could be otherwise. I had to know that Rama was still attainable, and not forever lost to me.

" No Mike" Raph spat the words out his voice hard a snarl on his face, " She is gone and you have to accept that."

" I can't!" I almost yelled at him.

Raph cursed looking the other way for a minute or two muttering under his breath about all the idiotic foolishness. Then he turned back to look me in the face again.

" You know all the things Don has learned about Yukio and what he has told us about him since he took over the Foot clan."

I nodded knowing fully Yukio reputation, how the man could constantly slip under and away from authorities was a miracle, though surely not a divine one.

" He is a cold heartless bastard who gets off on making any of his enemies suffer, in the worst possible ways" Raph said " Those who work for him fear him, and they don't dare try to leave or betray him, because they know what will happen if they do. The police have never been able to protect any one from Yukio, yet some how they never get the goods on him." Raph snorted, " So anyone who works for him watches their back constantly."

" I know all this Raph it isn't news to me okay?" I replied bitterly.

Raph continued as if he hadn't heard me " He is into big business and big crime. Lives a charmed life. How much you want to bet Rama is his executioner?" Raph demanded, " She is the one who has been getting rid of the thorns in his side for a few years at least. She is his bodyguard and his assassin."

" Raph!" I snapped not wanting to hear any of this. Raph being the sort of person he was though wasn't going let up.

" Mike face it he is worst then any mob boss that ever lived, he is far crueller then Shredder ever was at his worst. That man has been Rama's father for nine years and he has made her a kunoichi, who is with out equal" Raph's voice was no more then a low whisper not wanting Karena and the twins to hear all we knew about Yukio. " She is as cruel as he is. That isn't your little girl Mike. That just happens to be Yukio's daughter."

I hung my head, crushed by his words wanting desperately to deny them but knowing they were true.

" Raph I know what you are saying, but try to understand that I have to try to get her away from Yukio. I feel I owe it to her Raph" I insisted, " If I try and fail then I will die knowing I did all I could for her. You know, as well as I do Raph we are all going die here eventually." I said keeping my own voice low. " Since that is the case Raph, I really have nothing to lose by trying to get through to Rama and doing everything I can to help her. Maybe by helping her I will be helping us too."

" You really think that she gives a damn about any of us, or be made to give a damn before it is all over?" Raph shot out.

" Maybe. She might, I won't know if I don't try. You know it is like winning the lottery you have a better chance of being hit by lightning then winning that big jackpot, but you can't win if you don't play." I grinned a bit " Besides what else is there to do for entertainment around here?" I teased a bit then looked into his gaze again " Tell me some thing honestly Raph if you were in my place, and Rama was your daughter would you do it any differently?"

Raph seemed to ponder the question I had put before him before he answered " I would not do any thing different Mike" he finally spoke with great conviction " She has all ready hurt our family enough and I doubt she will throw away nine years of training just like that" Raph snapped his fingers, " If by some miracle she remembered us and decided to help us, she would know from experience alone, that Yukio would hunt her down and kill her in the worst possible way he can think of." Raph sighed forlornly " I'm sorry Mike but I truly think the kindest thing we can do for her is give her a quick merciful death to end it all. All that pain and suffering Yukio has been putting her through since the day he got a hold of her would end, and she'd finally be free Mike" Raph's voice choked up a bit " It would be the best thing for her. If I get the chance so help me I'm going do it." Raph declared.

I gasped shaking my head no. Raph was our family's executioner I knew he could do it with ease and I also knew he would. He was warning me what he planned to do if Rama ever presented him that opening.

I finally managed to speak the word " **No** Raph don't do that to her."

" I probably won't get the chance Mike. If I do it is the best thing I can do for her, and the best way I can honour the niece that I once loved and would die for."

" You just want to do this for revenge!" I snapped at him.

" No Mike revenge has nothing to do with this, the whole ninja honour thing has nothing to do with this" Raph declared emphatically. " Serena and Kei they died quickly never suffered. Might have been afraid for a moment or two. The rest of the family same thing they might have been afraid for a little time a minute or two but it was over quick" Raph raised his head looking across the way.

He gave a weak grin " Yeah Mike I would like a chance to get revenge a thousand times over" He admitted, " For every thing that they have done to our family but they died quick deaths in the invasion." He looked back at me " the survivors of the infiltration are the unlucky ones."

I knew he was right Yukio would see to it that we would all suffer before he killed us off, we expected it and so far he was doing an incredible job of living up to those expectations.

Leo who loved and cared for his family above all else was bound to be the last one killed, he would die knowing he had failed all of us, he would see each of us die before that. I was sure of that much, because we did know enough about Yukio to realize that was his intentions.

I knew it all and I suppose that is why Raph felt killing Rama would be the kindest thing we could do for her.

Still I couldn't bear the thought of someone in my family granting Rama a mercy killing. I wanted to see if I could get through to her and help her break free from the pain so that she could have a few years of no pain, no fear and a feeling of what a family really was.

" I don't think you will get that opening Raph. I know if I get that opening I wouldn't be able to kill her. If it was a case of her or me, I'd sacrifice myself first." I spoke honestly " I hate the fact Yukio has had her all this time. I hate how he has turned her against us" I ranted, " I hate that hard cold killer look in her eyes instead of the laughing playful look I remember. I hate how cruel and vicious she is now" I fumed striking my fist against the concrete wall behind me battering and scratching the skin against the rough wall. " I have to wonder how he turned my loving little girl into that monster, taking from her everything she should have been," I snarled vehemently.

I paused taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. I couldn't recall ever feeling this much anger in my life before.

" I have to try Raph. I have to try something more because it is all I can do for her and it is the last thing I may ever do for her."

Raph sighed and rolled his eyes as he leaned his head against the wall " She'll kill you Mike."

" Her or some other Foot yeah" I agreed reminding him that it didn't matter really who killed us; we would still be just as dead.

Sure we would make a break for it if we got a chance. We had played the odds numerous times before and won, we had gotten out of places and situations that seemed entirely impossible, but this time the deck was stacked against us.

Leo wouldn't leave without his family and the twins weren't old enough to manage the numbers of Foot at the headquarters alone. If we tried to escape then the guards on duty would shoot us dead before we had even slipped a hand free of one shackle. Perhaps later they would grow bored and slip up, but right now they were too new to guard duty. I also figured we'd be dead by the time the guards on duty started to show signs of laziness.

Raph had lapsed into silence he had done all he could to convince me.

I thought of the time when he had loved Rama and she had loved him. The hours of roughhousing with one another, the intense fascination Rama got on her face when she saw Raph spinning his sai or performing the other tricks with it for her amusement. Raph had spoiled her but he had been far more strict with his own children, not allowing them a quarter of the liberties he had permitted or encouraged Rama to have.

If Rama could do this to him then maybe I didn't stand much of a chance, but I still felt that as Rama's true father, and because I still loved her dearly even now, that I owed it to her to try.

I had to try no matter what the cost or odds against it.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: See no torture in this chapter, unless you count Mike's suffering for Rama as torture. Sort of a break, in between torture from last chapter and torture in next chapter. Ah yes timing is everything and Kirra is not ready to accept them as family yet. A gratitude for your insight.

Lenni: Another fast update, of course it helps that it is a rewrite, nothing really to get writer's block on. You can't save Raph and you are probably right that he would take offence at you helping him. A gratitude for your insight.


	7. The Past Awakens

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Six - The Past Awakens**

**Warning: Torture scenes ahead.**

**Kirra:**

I didn't concern myself with our enemies until later that afternoon when I, and several of the Foot Soldiers showed up to watch Leonardo receive his lesson from my father.

My father had prepared the largest training room we had to be partially filled with benches and raised platforms to hold more seats, so that as many of the Foot as possible could watch the display.

In the middle of the room was a large circular cage with a door in one side, obviously the lesson was going to be taking place in there, and I wondered how long it had taken the Foot to arrange the room to father's orders.

I found myself a seat picking a wonderful spot where I could watch everything that transpired, there was another Foot soldier sitting there but a glare from me was all it took for him to find a new spot.

From where I sat I could see Leonardo being escorted into the dojo itself through one of the two doors, one on either side of the room. He was bound up in chains and looked very much like he had all ready been through hell and back again, but he showed no sign of fear or pain.

The Foot who were guiding him, lashed him with thick metal chains as they drove him into the cage itself then forced him against the bars securing him there to await my father.

Leonardo spat out some blood and the Foot cheered in a wild frenzy, enjoying the sight and the great turtle leader chained and at our mercy.

I scowled, not seeing the sense of this at all.

I knew father wanted to 'lesson' Leonardo but I could not understand why father would have him weaken before the two of them had a chance to go at it one-on-one in a true match of skills, as I had done with Raphael.

Perhaps father didn't want to fight him just yet, but father had to know the longer that Leonardo was tortured and beaten the less strength and reserves he would have for a fair match.

Then again, father had always been far more interested in torturing then he was in fighting, a quick painless death wasn't worthwhile unless one happened to be in a hurry. For father it was far more interesting and enjoyable to see how much pain and suffering you could put a person through before they died.

Now that Leonardo was restrained father came near the cage instead of entering he made a slight gesture of one hand at that simple command another, much smaller group of soldiers lead the boy towards the cage.

Little Ryu was struggling and kicking up a fight as he tried to break free of the soldiers before he was forced into the cage with his father.

The boy glowered at the Foot then turned to see his dad, battered bloodied and weak in chains and gasped " Dad?" he choked out.

" Be careful Aiden" Leo warned him.

Then my father entered and the cage was securely locked behind him. The game was about to begin.

Ryu turned and I could see his small hands clench into tight fists at his side in a sudden rage the boy charged at my father. Of course his anger and quick actions were nothing to my father he gave a powerful kick that caught the youth in his plastron knocking him backwards.

Determined the boy shook his head and went after my father again. In his anger, he didn't stand a chance, not that he would have under the best of conditions and temperaments. My father was an incredible fighter, I knew that for a fact, he could not be a Foot leader if he did not possess some hard fighting skills.

Leonardo knew what was coming, how could he not?

So he began to struggle trying to break free so he could protect his son from harm, but the Foot well versed in escape techniques had seen to it that there was little chance of escaping. Leonardo might be able to break free but it would take far too much time. Leonardo clearly recognized that fact and in the interim gave advice to his head strong son.

" Aiden keep away from him. Calm down use avoidance techniques." He ordered.

Ryu didn't seem to hear his father's words the boy seemed determined to beat my father no matter what it took. It was clear to me though that father was getting bored of playing with the child.

As Ryu came in this time more carefully father but still a look of hatred on his face, father grabbed hold of an arm and tossed the boy with ease over using a great deal of pressure as he did so.

There was the sound of bone breaking and the Foot cheered loudly around the room. The boy stunned tried to move his now useless right arm, fear emanating quickly from him and that was followed by pain.

Ryu backed up cradling his arm against his plastron his eyes wide as he fought to keep back tears, swallowing noisily in the sudden silence of the room.

He was impatient, though he had shown remarkable skill for a child of his age, but he had moved too fast not stopping to consider his opponent, or heed his father's words. Only now that he was hurt and in pain did he realize he was out of his depth.

This then was Leonardo's lesson that he could not protect those he loved and cared for. He was in essence useless. The boy also had a lesson that his dad could not save him from those who wished to do him harm.

Father seeing that Ryu had given up turned to the struggling turtle leader, gesturing for the boy to be removed.

" What do you think?" He asked Leonardo calmly, " Such spirit and such fire in one so young I admire that. He might make a worthy foot soldier you know" father's tone was cold and harsh.

I grinned, slyly at my father's words, how devastating would it be to Leonardo if my father determined to follow through and do just that?

Of course the turtle leader would never live to see his son become one of us, but he would die knowing in his heart that his son would be a Foot, a member of the clan that he opposed.

Leonardo did not rise to father's bait.

" Then again I have no use of such freaks as yourself" Father decided.

" What of your daughter then?" Leonardo asked arching an eye ridge.

Father laughed, " You like her?" He inquired. " Now **she** is the exception. A fine kunoichi and worth **all** I have put into her." Father turned glancing my way.

I bowed slightly to him unable to keep a smile of gratitude from my face. He did appreciate me in his own way, and I knew that.

" She is **very** loyal to **me!" **He concluded.

Father wasn't a loving man, it was true, but he did let me know that he was grateful for my services and loyalty to him. In spite of my young age I had been immersed so fully into the ninja way of life, that father knew I could give him the sort of service few other Foot soldiers could offer. He also knew that I hadn't reached my peak yet for I would only improve with time.

I was grateful to him for giving me my life and my training that I would do any thing for him and his happiness was my only desire. I wanted to please him in every way, so my service and loyalty was really nothing as far as I was concerned. Father knew it too.

My father strode to the bars of the cage and a soldier handed him a thick heavy metal chain, father caressed it. I inhaled deeply knowing what was about to come, as I was sure almost everyone else in the room knew what was about to happen.

He took the chain and lashed it out at the turtle leader hitting him hard, Leonardo gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, probably dipping into a meditative skills as he tried to not cry out.

The sound of the metal chain hitting his body was a terrible sound I winced and shut my eyes.

Then I swore I saw an image of a small female turtle child in a darkened room only a small faint light flickered weakly over her and she seemed terrified to go beyond the borders where light met darkness. She raised her head and there was a look of terror in her eyes, large wounds on her arms and legs. Her body thin looking as if she hadn't eaten for some time.

" Karena. Daddy help me" she yelled, " Daddy where are you please come help me. You hafta to find me daddy," she pleaded as she bowed her head starting to cry her body trembling.

I opened my eyes, half expecting to see that dark room and that poor child only to see the throngs of Foot and hear the deafening cheering. I scowled confused and suddenly feeling on the verge of panic.

Where in the world had that come from? What was it even about?

I felt suddenly very ill but I knew if I left early father might hear about it and he wouldn't like it.

I fought the emotions down using ninja skill to calm my sudden nausea, blocking things off as I focused my concentration on other things. Soon the feeling passed.

Father meanwhile had achieved what he wanted a scream of pain from the leader was given and the turtle slumped in his chains giving a wearied groan.

Not bad really but I had expected the turtle leader to last longer, but when I glanced at the clock I noticed father had been at it for almost twenty minutes when I was sure it had been less then ten, of course Leonardo's body also attested to the torture he had suffered.

Father nodded as he went over " You will learn you can not defeat me. As my name implies I get** what I want.**" He hissed.

The turtle leader raised his head " Yet you will have no honour when you get it" he announced in a quiet tone, which said clearly that while we had beaten his body we had not touched his mind.

He seemed to have quite a thing for honour as if he was the only one who even knew what it meant.

I wondered if father would now continue the lesson for the leader's nerve alone, however he didn't seem interested. It seemed father was pleased with what he had achieved.

Many of the Foot then bustled out on their way to the cafeteria for an early dinner. The thought of food churned my stomach.

I instead returned to my quarters where I could have privacy and meditate for a while in hopes of forgetting that strange image that had popped up out of nowhere. I wanted to forget that image shove it away and never think of it again.

But there was something about the very vividness of it, that made me break out in goose bumps and fill chilled all over.

That turtle child who was she? Did I know her? Why did that image only come now, and where had it come from in the first place?

I trembled and shook a bit as my mind raced with these questions. I didn't want to think about it though, yet I couldn't seem to turn it off now that it had started.

Life all of a sudden seemed far more complicated then it had before. Perhaps it was only all the high emotions that were keeping me on edge and anxious but I couldn't get over the feeling that something terrible was brewing. That my head was caught in a noose, which was slowly closing about me.

…

I dreamed of the little girl turtle, she was still in the dark room whimpering and crying, her thin arms wrapped around her knees. Clinging tight to the bit of light above her terrified of the shadows around and about her.

" Daddy?" She whimpered forlornly, " Karena?"

They hadn't come yet, and the child seemed to know that they were never coming for her. Though how I knew what she was feeling I couldn't say but in the dream we shared an empathic bound.

" Your daddy is gone." A cold sinister voice came from the shadows.

The child screamed in wild panic.

" I am your father Kirra, you must learn **I** am the only one to protect you from all of your fears. I'll look after you Kirra and be your father." That voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere within the shadows, it was recognizable to me but sounded slightly unfamiliar as if it was disguised somehow. " You will be a powerful kunoichi for me Kirra."

The girl in her wild fear was sobbing uncontrollable and she yelled into the shadows " Stop calling me **That!** I nots Kirra I daddy's kunoichi."

" It seems Kirra you need another lesson to teach you proper respect."

The words caused the child to cry harder curling into a frightened ball, trying her best to tuck vulnerable places into her shell.

I woke suddenly with my heart pounding and tears on my pillow.

That girl was me?

No it couldn't be, there was just no possible way. Unless this was some memory from the lab I had been in.

I wiped at my eyes. Crying was a sure sign of weakness and such emotions did nothing for you. Tears got you no where.

I shuddered under my blankets wondering about the strange image and equally disturbing dream and trying to figure out what it all meant.

I just couldn't fit it into the context of my life. It made no real sense to me, unless somehow I was starting to feel some form of empathy for the turtles.

I almost scoffed and laughed out right at that thought. They were my enemies why would I feel any thing for them?

I considered talking to father about these sudden images or what ever they were but he might take it as a sign of weakness in me. He despised weakness of any sort.

Besides he might think that I would plan to betray him if I told him about it and father didn't appreciate those who betrayed him.

I knew I was far too keyed up to sleep any more at the moment, and I was in no mood to meditate it was only a bit after one in the morning.

I felt a sudden urge to check on the prisoners as if to verify that they were still there. I kicked off my blankets and strapped on my equipment, which I always kept close at hand, even when I slept, before I headed to the hold area.

As I entered I could hear Leonardo, even before I saw him, as I could hear the chains and shackles that bound him rattling a well as him yelling.

" Leave her ALONE!"

I hurried around the corner to see all the guards occupied in the female cell the door wide open, the children were firmly tied down and the woman was likewise secured though her legs had not been tied together, the guards had cut off her top leaving shredded bits around the cell floor.

I glowered father had not authorized this, he couldn't have because he'd want to watch Leo's torment for one thing, for another he would not want the males unguarded while the Foot enjoyed their bit of fun with the woman.

" What is the meaning of this?" I barked at them.

Their intentions had been very clear, there was no way they could deny that they had planned on raping her, but the males could have broken free and cost us all dearly.

The Foot soldiers had discarded their masks, so it was easy to see them pale visibly as they turned to see me. Their excitement and anticipation dropping considerably with my sudden appearance by the cell.

" Uh Kirra" one soldier stammered before lapsing into silence and staring at his feet.

I arched an eye ridge " What is a matter can't you boys get a hooker?" I hissed, " there has to be one in the city that will take your coin."

I knew these three soldiers to be untrustworthy and wondered how they managed to pull guard duty in the first place, unless they had traded favours for the opportunity.

I pulled my sais from my belt " Come on out of the cell **Now!** Don't make me come in after you because if I have to come in there, I'll make you all eunuchs." I informed them

They shuffled out of the cell and looked at me nervously knowing the trouble they were in now. I glanced over to Leonardo to ensure he had not broken free in any way as of yet.

He looked at me, his chest heaving but he obviously was quite willing to maintain his captive state for now, as he was no longer struggling in his chains. It seemed he would permit it simply because I had spared his pretty little wife.

I nodded pleased that we had a slight agreement. I would rid him and his wife of this scum and he would remain our captive. Ever body could be happy, except the guards.

" Don't any of you boys try anything funny either" I warned them just in case.

I could see that Raphael was tense as if he wanted a fight, nothing new I supposed. Don looked away from my gaze while Leonardo met my eyes I sneered slightly at him and ignored the way Mike seemed to watch my every move.

I turned my attention to the Foot soldiers and poked one of them " Since you destroyed her top you can leave yours for her to wear." I ordered.

He removed the shirt and tossed it back into the cell.

I went to the intercom near the prison entrance and pushed in father's code " Master Sekora, the guards on duty were attempting to rape the female. I have reason to believe they were not assigned o the task of guarding the prisoners."

" Their names Kirra." Father snapped.

I gave him the names of the three soldiers and waited though not for long for his reply.

" Get them to report to me immediately Kirra and keep guard until next watch."

" Of course" I agreed though I hated guard duty, glorified babysitting was a waste of my skills.

I clicked off the intercom " You heard him boys. You best hurry he isn't very happy." I gave the three soldiers a tight hard smirk as they left, handing me the keys to the cells.

If they didn't report to father in a certain amount of time he would go after them, of course that would only make it worse for them.

I shrugged indifferently, my father wasn't that hard to please. Those soldiers really had only themselves to blame no matter what discipline father handed out to them.

I returned to the cell, releasing the woman and her children totally from the shackles, they were no real threat to us so there was no need for them to be chained in any way in the cell.

The boy winced as I released his broken arm from the shackle trying not to cry from the pain he was in, though I could feel how much it was hurting him. I admired his courage.

" Karena are you and the twins all right?" Leonardo called out to them his voice full of concern.

" We're fine Leo" Karena replied shakily, " We are all right now" she choked out as she tried not to cry.

I don't know who she was trying to reassure more, him the children or her self.

Karena, her name was Karena after all!

The turtle child called for Karena as well, perhaps it was only my mind paying tricks on me. Surely the name Karena was not a common name. I knew the mind was capable of twisting things around I had learned about it during some of my training.

Still it seemed far too much of a coincidence to me and made me shudder inwardly.

I shook my head and left the cell as the children cuddled up to their mother asking her if she was all right.

Karena had pulled on the discarded foot shirt almost immediately, and the black top made her look far more pale then she was naturally as she placed an arm around each of her children bowing her head slightly.

Leonardo had said that they were twins, funny the girl looked younger then Ryu had seemed to be.

I relaxed knowing I had five hours ahead of me. It was going be a long night. Hopefully the turtles wouldn't cause too much problems.

Out of boredom I plucked a sai from my belt and started to toy with it. It was a bad habit really, one I had acquired over the years some where along the line simply for something to do.

I balanced the sai tip on one finger, flicked my wrist sending the sai spinning up in the air and caught it by the grip as it descended, then another quick move of the wrist and I sent the sai spinning harmlessly over the back of my hand to rest once again where it belonged.

I had never seen any one else perform these stunts with the sai and yet I had never had my doubts that it could be done. I could feel two sets of eyes burning into me as I performed these tricks.

I raised my head to glare first at Michaelangelo and then at Raphael.

Mike smiled a little " You do that pretty good Rama, for a kid who has too many fingers." He remarked simply.

I jerked my hand back, sucking in a bit of breath through my lips. _How could he have known?_

When I was a child in Japan I had often dreamed that I had far too many fingers to ever be capable of handling the sai with any precision. In my dreams the sai was the one weapon I could never master, no matter how I tried.

These dreams made no sense to me as I had five fingers on each hand the same amount found on the teachers, and Masters of our Ryu as well as those of every pupil that went there. If all of them with five fingers on each hand could master the sai then I should also be able to.

The dream though persisted even after I had managed to learn the sai techniques. It was so funny in my dreams to see my hand with the extra two or three fingers on each hand. Sometimes on rare occasions I would still have that dream.

I looked at their hands and noticed that all the male turtles only had three fingers on each hand. A fact I must have known and yet they were so adept with their three fingers, such skilled warriors that it had been easy to overlook.

Mike arched an eye ridge at me " Raph likes to do that kind of stuff with his sais too" he informed me in an amiable way.

I glared at him " Shut up before I cut your tongue out." I hissed at him.

He nodded slightly and looked away though he didn't seem all that worried about my threat.

I growled under my breath knowing I would be glad when all of this was over.

TBC

Lenni: It will take time to make Rama/Kirra the daughter Mike once knew but as you can see, she might have made that all important first step by remembering a bit of the past. Yet she still has a long road ahead of her. Mike might not mind being saved, however I don't know if he'd want to leave Rama behind. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Too true and I hope you were able to handle torture's grim ugly face in this chapter. As you can see Yukio is no winner and his reputation is well earned, you will learn more about that as the story progresses. Mike is trying his best to get Rama to recall who she really is. If Raph gets a chance to finish her well you have to keep reading.

Next chapter isn't so hard still angsty though. A gratitude for your insight.


	8. Chapter Seven: Don's theories

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Seven - Don Theories**

**Michaelangelo:**

The startled shocked expression that came to her face was enough to assure me that Rama did know something about having too many fingers at one time.

I wasn't even the least surprised to realize that Raphael still had a strong influence on that girl. How many times had I seen Raph perform those very same stunts with his sai to amuse a youthful Rama? More times then I could count she was fascinated with the weapons and was intrigued with the skills her uncle showed that went above and beyond the fighting techniques.

Now, like her once favourite Uncle, Rama would haul out a sai and fiddle with it.

More importantly though was the fact I had proven, to my self at least, that Rama could remember certain things about us, and that gave me hope because it meant that my plan might actually be possible. It wasn't as unattainable as perhaps the others thought.

Once she knew the truth it ought to be an easy choice for her to make, I mean why would she want to stay with Yukio when she could be with her own family. She could help us escape, and in return we could help protect her, from Yukio's wrath and desire for revenge.

No matter how I looked at it, or turned things over in my mind Rama was **still** the best chance we had to survive this hell hole.

I waited until she left before grinning wide " Did you see the look on her face Leo?" I almost crowed with delight.

Leo scowled my way " I'd be very careful baiting her Mike. She is dangerous and if she is ever allowed to torture you she will get her revenge on you" he cautioned me, " Don't give her a reason to go there Mike."

" Leo don't you get it? Didn't you see? **She** does remember some thing of her time with **us** and I'm sure she can recall more with some help" I insisted refusing to give in. " Look at how she handled the sai, who else does that? If she can be reached Leo then…"

Leo cut me off " I don't hold out for much help from Ramiela" he remarked dryly " Perhaps things might have been different if she hadn't been gone for the amount of time she has been missing from us." Leo sighed, " Mike you have to understand we are against nine years of Foot training, so what if she recalls the fact that at the age of four she felt she had too many fingers to use a sai. What will it give us Mike?" Leo shook his head sighing wistfully and glanced over towards Karena and the twins cell.

Rama had spent a great deal of time near their cell looking in at them. Karena and Leo had both tensed, whenever, she had drawn close to the bars as if expecting the worse from her, even though Rama had prevented an attack on Karena.

Of course I, and the rest of the family was fully aware the only reason Rama had stopped the attack was because Yukio hadn't authorized it, sparing Karena from being repeatedly raped in front of her children.

" When Rama was younger she caught on to things very quickly Leo, she is very smart and I am sure she will be able to add a few things together. Once she knows the truth what would stop her from helping us?" I wondered. " I haven't heard a better plan offered at all but you don't even want to try it, simply because Rama has been a Foot Soldier for the last nine years."

Leo frowned a bit then turned to look towards Don " Is there a chance, a possibility that I don't see?"

Don grimaced " I was hoping that both of you would leave me out of this" he muttered.

" Why Don?" Leo inquired curious to the reply.

Don glanced at Leo " Well I've been turning things over in my own mind, ever since I saw Ramiela here and it just" he sighed shook his head a bit " Isn't very promising is all," He concluded uneasily.

" That is what I suspected." Leo agreed, " It is why I wish that Mike would just give up on Ramiela."

" Never!" I growled low at the thought.

" It isn't promising just for the reasons you are thinking of Leo but for other factors as well" Don hastened to inform us.

" Such as?" Raph asked curious, he had to be bored if he was asking Don questions like that.

" Well Mike is correct in assuming that Ramiela can be made to recall certain memories of us, and therefore recall bits of her past as well" Don began hesitantly " In fact Rama might have been remembering little things about us for some years now, but since we have reappeared in her life we can present her with larger chunks of missing memory." Don grinned " Sort of fill in the blank spots in her past."

" I don't understand you Don how in the world do we give Rama a chunk of her memory. Isn't memory connected to that person?" Raph demanded.

" Memories are often attached to certain stimuli or senses. The colour red could be a trigger for blood or anger. Smells, certain sights, or sounds even the things you feel or taste can trigger a memory in any one." Don explained simply.  
" So you are saying Rama does remember us and that helping her to recall more ought to be fairly easy to achieve?" Leo asked sounding like he might actually be starting to consider my plan.

" I told you Leo" I grinned wide in triumph. Rama could be helped Don had just said as much.

" Hold on Mike" Don held one hand up slightly, " While you are right Leo is also correct in his views that she has been gone so long that her Foot training won't be ignored. Judging on the sort of person, we all know Yukio to be, it is a good bet that Ramiela hasn't been trained as **just** another Foot soldier."

" Of course not, she is being trained to take his place as the leader" I admitted.

" I think it goes much deeper then that even, Mike. I think Yukio has insured himself of Ramiela's obedience and loyalty to him by using the Stockholm syndrome, or to put it simply, he has most likely brainwashed her."

" Brainwashing? Come on Don even you don't believe in that garbage!" Raph sputtered. " No body does that."

" Actually Raph it is often used by kidnappers, people who take hostages of children or adults for what ever reason often use the technique many time the original victim becomes so compliant that they will help ensnare future victims for the perpetrator" Don corrected calmly, " Any one can be brainwashed Raph it is simply a matter of how much terror, loneliness, time and repetition it takes before the victim accepts the story they are told" Don went on to explain the matter further, " There are four steps to brainwashing a victim 1) The subject must suffer a profound psychological trauma such as a beating, torture, or rape. 2) The subject must be taken from every person or place that they feel safe" Don ticked the points off methodically, " 3) The programmer repeats his message over and over until it is accepted. 4) He holds out the promise of a reward, usually the victim's life. In many instances the victim assumes that because they haven't been killed they might be allowed to live as long as they please the programmer."

I had a deep sinking feeling while Don was saying all of this I gasped and whispered " Yukio could have done that easily. Some of Rama's scars are very old. He must have taken her to Japan and beat her into it." I gulped at the very thought of what Rama must have endured back then.

Don nodded I could sense his empathic touch reaching to console and comfort me from the sting of those words " Exactly Mike, and once she accepted the initial training from him then all he would have to do was reinforce it once in a while to keep her consistent to what he wanted." Don sighed wearily, " Rama is like a machine now Mike, she has been programmed to be obedient to him and to please him." He paused for a moment, " The will to survive is strong in all of us. For Rama to survive she had to forget her past and accept Yukio as her father and what ever else he was willing to allow her to have. She has been programmed to him for so long that it would be highly unlikely for her to oppose him."  
I shook my head wanting to block Don's words out, to ignore what he was saying, but I couldn't help but acknowledge how much my daughter must have suffered at Yukio's hands both, before and now. It hurt deep inside me.

" Yukio could probably tell her that the colour black is orange and she would look at something black and insist that it was orange until Yukio told her otherwise" Don admitted, " for nine years she has had to live her life to appease him and gain his favour."

Leo nodded grimly " In other words she won't be of any help to us, she will probably see any kindness towards us as a weakness, especially if she feels that she must please Yukio and to do so would mean her hating and hurting us" Leo essayed his tone was full of regret and pain. " He is fully aware that Ramiela is from our family though."

" Of course he is Leo" Don agreed " he probably even knows that Mike is her true father." Don replied, " Since I have told you this let me tell you a little more. I hope that I am wrong about this but the way things are playing out and Yukio's nature alone well…" Don's voice trailed off as he bit his lip gently.

" What Don?" Leo asked probing for more details, while I personally had enough of my share.

" We all know Yukio is sadistic bastard but he doesn't usually do things without a reason, which means he is using Ramiela to hurt us for a reason" Don replied, " I think he could be testing his programming, maybe to see if she will obey his every command when put against her family. He also wants us to **hate** her."

" No problem I'm all ready there," Raph growled.

Don gave a frustrated shake of his head " He wants to sever all ties between her and us" He concluded, " Yukio realizes that we might be able to bring up memories for Ramiela and that the more she is around us, the more she could relearn."

" You sound like bringing up her memories aren't such a good thing Don" I said feeling the bit of elation slip away.

" It may not be Mike. Look if she sticks to her programming she kills us. If she recalls her past enough to realize we are her family, well, she knows enough about clan rules to realize we would demand her life, for the death of our family members who died during the infiltration" Don explained gently as he could " In that instance she would still stay with Yukio and the Foot she has a life with him. We will want her dead, or so she might suspect according to clan rules. Now then, add to it the fact that she starts to remember the past and she will have a great deal of conflict to deal with."

Leo gasped as Don's words sunk in " Yukio is only using her as a pawn then, he is using her wisely to get what he really wants but in the end she is expendable."

Don nodded sadly " Exactly and expendable might be the word" Don took a couple of deep breaths " I have a feeling after we are dead Yukio might kill Ramiela as she would have served her purpose to him."

" No way Don, after all, that she has done to help Yukio, he wouldn't just kill her…" I protested but I knew in my heart that Yukio was just the sort of son of a bitch to do such a thing.

Don choked back a sob " I'm sorry Mike but you really can't believe she'll live. Years of programming can't be stopped. She doesn't have free choice other then to obey Yukio." He insisted, " I might be wrong about him killing her but I don't think so Yukio wants to eradicate all of us, how can he do that if he allows Ramiela to live?"

Leo hung his head in defeat " Sorry Mike but it seems as if Ramiela is truly lost to us. She can't and she won't help us we shouldn't hold out for it."

I felt hot bitter tears burning at my eyes I understood now I had thought that it would all be so simple however, every thing Don had said made it seem that a snowball would stand a better chance in hell.

Rama lived in fear of Yukio whether she showed it or not, and she might not be able to break free of the chains that bound her to him.

I ached for Rama then wishing very much that she had died years ago instead of living her life in fear, a constant slave to the sadistic heartless, bastard she called father.

A deep rage built up inside of me. I wanted Yukio dead. I wanted him to suffer for every thing he had done to my little girl.

He was enjoying her pain as well as ours.

Rama was well and truly lost, so lost it was a wonder that she was still alive. I realized then and there that Raph had probably been right about Rama the kindest thing we could do for her, might be ending her pain and suffering if we got that chance.

I personally wanted a chance to end Yukio's life even more and I prayed the opportunity would show itself.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: So glad the torture was doable for you. I know how hard it is for you to read it. Yes just being around her family is a big memory trigger but that in itself may, or may not be such a good thing. A gratitude for your insight.

Lenni: Yes Rama/Kirra is recalling what happened when she called for her family when Yukio first got her and started to turn Rama into Kirra. At the moment I don't think that Kirra would be happy to go. A gratitude for your insight.


	9. chapter eight: The bargain

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Eight - The Bargain**

**Kirra:**

I only had some fruit for breakfast before going to my room for a little peace and meditation before starting my day.

I brushed the tangles out of my hair before deftly weaving the long strands into a tight braid, while I worked I allowed my mind to wander where it would, usually, at this point of day, I found myself trying to bring up some memory of the dark unreachable past of the time I spent in the lab. As always it avoided me, giving me only an empty hollow void in response.

Sometimes it bothered me that I drew a complete blank about my life before going to Japan. It irked me further when I would have a glimmer or image of a time when I was younger, or at least I thought it was me, but the circumstances I was in didn't seem to connect with a laboratory of any kind.

That woman, Karena, brought up many such images and feelings for me. None of them made any sense to me but they bothered me with there detail, and there utter refusal to go back where ever they came from and just leave me alone

Yet I could almost swear to it that I knew her, or someone very much like her, when I had been very little.

I recalled cuddling up to her and calling her ' Aunty Karena.' She would kiss me and hold me in her embrace as she read to me, or I would slowly read to her from favoured books. I know she had taught me some simple songs and she would often tickle me as we sat together.

I loved her very much, and I know that she loved me as well. I also knew without a doubt that she meant a great deal to my younger self.

Either these images were true, or they were a lie but I didn't know enough about my life to determine, which it could be.

Father had no real reason to lie to me. Besides what did he have to gain from such a lie?

Nothing!

So father's story of finding me in a lab had to be true. Perhaps the people in the lab had gotten me from somewhere else and these images were from a time before the lab. Father might know the truth of that matter but would probably feel it was insignificant and not important. After all what did it matter if I had a life from before the lab he was the one who had freed me from that awful place.

It was possible that my memory itself was incorrect, placing me in situations that never really happened I know the mind could play tricks on you and ninja were very good at using mind tricks against their opponents.

If I believed in such a thing as reincarnation, I might assume that these images were from a past life, at least then I could accept it and move on. Problem was I didn't believe in reincarnation and so could not accept the images.

I knew they were connected to me I just hadn't been able to solve the mystery of how.

I considered again asking father about the images that disturbed me so, to see if he might know some thing I hadn't considered as of yet.

I hesitated in doing so because I knew how busy father was, he was rich and powerful beyond all means but his only desire was to bring the Foot Clan up to an all new level. Father covered his tracks well hiding behind his reputable business, acting one way when in reality he was something else.

No father really wouldn't want to be pestered by my 'images' if any thing he would probably question my ability as a ninja if I allowed such petty things to bother me to the extent the images had.

I sighed sitting back on the bed wishing I could talk to someone who would listen and perhaps offer me some advice. Yet I was alone.

I had to rely on myself, to do otherwise was to be weak. A ruler was to make decision and I was to rule the Foot clan one day, which meant that I was above even the Elite, and I had to handle problems on my own.

After some consideration I decided that these images were really nothing more then the manifestations of my own mind, my own yearnings and desires for someone to confide in giving birth to the images.

Most likely these images, were, brought on by watching Karena and her children in the cells, my mind had mixed that with my desires giving me the mother I never had. It made sense after all.

I had a father but no mother and it was the mother influence I was missing in my life.

In Japan it was traditional for the father to work and the mother to stay at home, though in the present day even mother's often worked. Schooling of course was all important to all children in Japan.

I had to learn a great deal of ninjitsu, most my waking hours were devoted to some aspect of my ninja training in the Foot Ryu.

I learned math, science, writing, reading, computer programming, tactical warfare, psychology, physics, languages along with mental and physical training of the ninja. The Masters of course also insisted that I learn a few art forms.

Father permitted 'artistic' lessons as long as my more important lessons didn't suffer any. So with his consent I learned music, painting traditional Japanese paintings, gardening and of course the tea ceremony.

I knew father wanted me to be trained to be a great warrior, his assassin, body guard and any thing else he might require of me and my ninja training was to ensure that he had the best at his disposal.

I was trained and raised for warfare, yet deep inside I loved the peaceful more relaxing way of life.

I smirked slightly _' No wonder you are in such conflict with yourself. Here in New York there is no time for peace only war, and it is past time to go to work.'_ I told myself ruefully.

…

I was on my way to practice when I was intercepted and told to report to father in his office immediately. I should have known that with the turtles here my usual schedule was not in effect.

I smiled perhaps father would allow me to lesson another turtle, perhaps Donatello or Michaelangelo. I hoped so at any rate. I entered his office with a sure and confident stride.

Father sat behind his desk and he looked up glowering at me causing me to falter and wonder what I had done wrong.

" Kirra I was expecting you long before this!" He snapped sharply.

I hesitated realizing in that instant that the messenger had only been sent when I had made the error. I alone had angered him and I should have known better.

I swallowed as I bowed low " I am sorry to have kept you waiting Master Sekora I should have known that you had plans for me." I apologized humbly.

" Indeed" Father snarled allowing a corner of his lip to turn into a sneer " See to it that it doesn't happen again. I am not use to incompetence from you Kirra and I will not have it" he growled.

" Yes master" I replied simply wondering silently how I could ever please him fully. I hated it when he got like this.

Reading minds wasn't enough, ninja training permitted a ninja such abilities to some extent but my father always kept his thoughts firmly blocked and woe to any one who tried to probe past his mental defences.

" From now until our guests are gone you will report to me morning, afternoon and evening. **First!** If I have no need of you then you may go about your business" he spoke to me as if I was a dull witted child.

I loathed it when he treated me that way but I knew better then to show it. I knew he would discipline me harshly if I ever allowed such a feeling to show through, so I remained compliant to his whims.

" Yes Master Sekora I will remember to do so."

He narrowed his penetrating gaze on me as if trying to discern if I was being truly obedient to him or if he detected some other emotion that he might take as a betrayal of some sort.

I wondered silently if I ought to kneel before him in further compliance but I knew if I was to do so that it would only slow me down. I rather stay on both feet just in case he decided to strike.

Father finally nodded and smiled he stood up and I tensed slightly.

" Bring the woman to my quarters Kirra" he finally ordered me.

I felt a question spring to my lips and I bit it back, my father wasn't in any mood at the moment it would be far better to obey and do it quickly.

" Of course Master as you wish I'll have her there right away." I hastened to assure him as I backed out of his office bowing all the way out.

I knew that father was now punishing me for not appearing before him instantly as I should have. He knew that I had no real interest in guard duty, and to do so over the female alone seemed such a waste of my skill.

I wondered why father wanted Karena and not Leonardo as well, I doubted that his plans involved hurting the woman a great deal, after all father would want Leonardo to witness what was done to the woman.

While my father had been none to take his liberties of female prisoners before often beating them before or after raping them, sometimes both. I doubted rape was what he desired this time even if he had requested her to be brought to his quarters.

I would have to bide my time and see if I could learn what was up.

I hurried down to the prison level and noticed instantly that Leonardo and Michaelangelo were the only two turtles in the male's cell meaning the other two had to be off on a lesson somewhere with an Elite.

I entered the female's cell and moved at top speed closing in grabbing her and securing her wrists behind her back in handcuffs. I doubted the girl would make any move on me but I knew Ryu well enough by this time to expect some trouble from him as I started to push Karena out, I turned to the boy.

" Don't move, don't even think of moving or I will have to hurt you and her." I warned them both.

Leonardo tensed as he watched " Where are you taking her?" He demanded of me.

I didn't have to answer him but I couldn't resist. " My father requested her for himself" I replied sweetly knowing that he would fret and stew over my response.

The children called after her as I pushed the woman in front of me ignoring their calls and pleas, I could sense Leonardo's desperation peak a bit before the cell door shut behind us as I hurried Karena up to my father's room.

Father smiled as I entered the bedroom with her " Very good Kirra. Release her and wait outside until I call you."

I knew then that I would be expected to escort Karena back to her cell when he was finished what ever he planned on doing to her. I scowled further curious about his intentions.

" Don't leave me here with him please" Karena whimpered softly her panic running high.

What did I care what father planned to do with her, even if I stayed I wouldn't stop him from whatever he wanted from Karena.

I just freed her hands and left the room to wait in the hall until father was ready for me to take her back. His quarters were sound proof and there would be no way to spy on him.

So I had to wait patiently as time dragged on the seconds lasting what felt like minutes, I had to remain alert and ready for my father's next orders. It took the longest time or so it felt about three quarters of an hour, before he called me back in the room.

I entered and looked at Karena she was sitting on the bed shaking slightly, she was crying and her eyes were red her body tense she stood up and looked around the room as if wanting a place to escape or hide.

She was noticeably distraught, which made me all the more curious to know what father could have possibly have done to her while I was in the hall.

Father smiled at her " So Karena you are now more fully aware of what I am capable of. Therefore you might be more willing to accept an offer that I have for you" He suggested kindly.

" There is **nothing** you could offer me that I would accept. You are an inhuman **monster,**" she hissed.

Father laughed as if he enjoyed her insult he raised one finger " Careful how you tread dear lady things could go much worse for you and those you love. I don't intend to offer this to you a second time turn it down now you throw it away forever." He warned her.

Father loved making deals but one had to be careful when bargaining with him, for if there was a loophole or opening of any kind he'd use it to his advantage.

Karena tried to stand straighter sniffing a bit as she clenched her hands into fists at her side " I don't make deals with the devil" she declared though her voice trembled.

So that was where the dragon got his fire.

I moved closer to her just in case she decided to do something truly foolish.

" I am quite human and to prove it I offer you your family's freedom, for you and the child in your womb."

Karena gulped placing a hand over the swell in her belly shaking her head in disbelief " you are joking!"

" I am quite serious your family can go free if you agree to stay with me of your own free will."

I noted my father hadn't mentioned how that freedom would be given to them, or how many members of the family the bargain included. Or where the freedom would take place.

" You **lie!**" she spat out, " You would** never** let them go safely. Besides I want **nothing **to do with you, your a despicable evil bastard!"

I smiled she obviously felt that father was going kill them, and he would, but he hadn't lied for he would be releasing her family, in essence freeing them, from what ever lay ahead before they were killed. She was giving her agreement to continue torturing her family. Fool!

" I could give you everything your heart desires money, power. Come now Karena everyone has their price go ahead and name yours" father crooned to her.

" You can't buy me or have me in any way that I would ever consent to. Leo is a hundred times better then you will ever be at everything!" She fumed.

I scowled darkly at her insult my father was better then the turtle leader!

Father strode over to her side with a couple of flowing steps, almost gliding to her, his eyes narrowed slightly as he reached out to caress her face with a hand " Your choice is made, remember what ever happens to your family now could have been avoided."

She flinched away as if expecting it to burn her, father's eyes sparked suddenly in anger he grabbed her hard forcing her closer to him and kissing her.

Karena's knee shot up hitting father in a very sensitive area just below the belt, then her foot came down fast to wards the floor.

I knew she intended to stomp down on the top of his foot with extreme force but father managed to pull his foot away from the coming blow though he was in extreme pain.

I grabbed Karena quickly and tripped her over and on her back to the floor by the bedside I straddled her legs and pulled my sais, holding one just above the bulge in her belly, the other poised at her throat.

" Hold Kirra" Father gasped weakly.

I glared at the woman under me, knowing that I should have been expecting her to act, and prevented her attack. I had failed father, yet again, and I knew he would have good reason to be angry at me for my lack of attention.

I was quite ready and willing even to dispatch her for harming father in that way, right then and there, but I froze waiting father's command or for the woman to make a wrong move.

After father managed to recover from her blow he stood over us " A very stupid move on your part Karena. My daughter is very quick to defend me and she will be very fast to kill you if you move the wrong way." Father informed her " It seems you have made an enemy of her."

I was shocked to hear pride in his tone as if he was boasting of my skill. It really made no sense to me, as I knew I had failed him, but I hid my confusion by sneering at Karena while I waited for father's command to tell me what he wanted.

" Do not doubt, for even a second, that she will go against any order that I give her."

Karena tensed under me and shut her eyes a few tears escaping from between her lids and trickling down her face.

" Return the turtle bitch to her cell I would rather kill her later when Leonardo can appreciate the action." Father finally decided.

I nodded in reply sheathing my sais before getting up and hauling Karena to her feet and removing her, a bit roughly from father's quarters.

Once back in her cell I placed her in shackles, she did not deserve freedom to move about the cell, not after what she pulled. Then with her secure I pulled a single sai holding it near her throat moving it down slowly so she could feel the press of the cold metal against her top and I stopped as it neared her belly.

" Don't ever try that with father again. Or you will lose that baby you are carrying" I warned her sharply.

She tensed eyeing me with fear, swallowing nervously. The girl huddled back afraid to move in case I did harm her mother but I noticed the boy take a hesitant step closer.

" Stay where you are little dragon or she will suffer the consequences" I demanded. He nodded his body tensed glancing quickly towards his father.

I drew the sai tip closer to her belly allowing it to rip the cloth and draw a faint red line along the bulge.

Karena bit her lip and squeezed her eyes firmly shut her fear rising to wild proportions.

" Remember what I told you," I hissed in a low whisper before leaving them.

As I left the cell I heard Karena start to sob but I paid her no mind.

She had made a very bad move by attacking father when I was there and I was determined she would never have another chance to harm him again.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: All the in between stuff is the fun angsty torture stuff that makes the enemy what it is truly a dark fic. Better prepare yourself only a few more chapters before chapter 11! The one that ends in a terrible cliffhanger. As you can see by this chapter Yukio does indeed seem to be calling the shots. A gratitude for your insight!


	10. Chapter Nine: Confirmation

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter nine - Confirmation**

**Michaelangelo:**

I could sense how worried and concerned Leo was for Karena, and their unborn child. He had good reason to feel far more then what I sensed from him at the moment, he knew what Yukio was capable of and I knew his imagination must be ready to run wild with possibilities alone.

Aiden was trying to comfort Kali who was quite sure her mother would be returned all beaten up in the same way we ourselves had been beaten.

Leo scowled darkly and he started to move with skilled determination, the guards raised their weapons locking them on him, for a moment I had to wonder if Leo was going push his luck and try to escape anyways, but after a second or two he gave up on his Harry Houdini trick. Leo had probably realized that even if he had broken free he wouldn't be able to prevent the danger or trouble that Yukio had planned for Karena, that plus the fact that the children really didn't need to see their father cut down in front of them was enough of a deterrant.

Somewhere in this despicable place Don and Raph were being beaten and tortured, I was pretty sure that Leo and I would soon have our turn too. In fact I figured Karena being taken from here was the start of her torture and Leo's.

It wasn't that I was in all that big of a hurry to go off and be tortured but it at least added some change of pace to just sitting in shackles and waiting as the minutes ticked ever so agonizingly by.

I was hungry, and thirsty. Not to mention the fact that I was so bored right now I would gladly do a two hour practice over doing nothing in this cell. I shifted a bit trying to get comfortable and the guards turned their attention towards me, they relaxed soon as they realized I wasn't trying to break out.

I knew an hour and half had probably passed by the time Ramiela returned with Karena, I could sense Rama's anger and Karena's fear. I watched in shocked horror as Rama removed her sai to threaten Karena.

I had thought for sure that Rama would not harm her, ever, no matter what the situation. She loved Karena cherished her above every thing and to see her suddenly act in such a fashion was enough to make me wonder how much chance I really had of getting through to Rama.

It was hard at times to think of Rama as any thing other then that sweet loveable child that I had known, sure I knew she had grown up and changed but to see her act in such a hard callous, indifferent fashion spoke volumes of where she was at in her teens and where she was heading.

I sat numbed with the change and pondering over the fact that my brother's could very well be right, whatever Rama had once been had to be dead and gone. She would never help us escape.

At the same time I still, didn't want to let it go, and just give up because I felt I had to try and reach her one last time. Besides there was a riptide of misery waiting to drag me down and pull me away from what I hoped for, I knew it would pull me under if I let it.

I forced my thoughts away from all the negative thoughts my mind was now contemplating and instead focused on Leo's and Karena's reunion, of sorts at least.

Karena didn't look like she had been injured physically in any fashion at any rate, I mean other then the scratch that Rama had just provided her. But her emotions were distraught, full of anger, bitterness, hatred, fear and a wild jumble of sheer pain that could not be put down to regular female hormones during pregnancy.

" Karena what happened? What did Yukio do to you Karena?" Leo pleaded his concern for his wife coming through clearly. I could sense he was trying to comfort her mentally.

Karena huddled up and she shook her head as she cried, " Forget it Leo. Don't…" she moaned.

" Karena if Yukio has hurt you in some way…" Leo didn't finish he knew even the emotional distress and the sheer tension could cause Karena to lose the unborn child.

" He didn't hurt me. Not like that Leo, not the way you are thinking" she declared quickly she shot a sympathetic pained look my way.

I realized then, that Karena didn't want to tell him because somehow it might hurt me. Karena was not one to go hurting other people's feelings, not if she could help it.

" He just disturbed me more then any thing Leo" She choked out sniffing a bit.

Aiden and Kali sat down near her.

" You sure mom?" Kali asked softly.

" I'll be all right" Karena assured them with a shaky smile.

" Karena, love…" Leo spoke softly trying to appeal to her with gentle words and reassurances. It wasn't that Leo was in a big hurry to find out what Yukio had done to his wife, it was just that whatever had happened might give us all a clue concerning if Karena and the children's lives might be in more danger then we first thought. Such information could cause Leo to act sooner even if it meant some of us might die. Right now to protect all of us and keep us alive he was willing to be a prisoner, but there could easily come a time when Leo decided to act instead of wait.

I gave a weak grin " It is all right Karena we can handle this" I assured her.

Karena shook her head " He hardly even laid a hand on me" she took a deep breath and gave me a pained look " Oh gods, Mike I am so sorry. It is just Don was right about Rama she **has** been brainwashed by him. He is rather proud of that achievement." Karena snapped the last bit.

I swallowed hard somehow, Yukio had confirmed to Karena Don's worst theory and suddenly I wasn't so sure that I wanted to hear the rest of this news. Then again I wanted to hear what had happened for it might help me know what the odds were against me, it would clear up some of the mystery of Rama's disappearance and how she could act towards us the way she did. There was no possible way I could block it out I had to know.

" Go ahead and tell us, as you are ready Karena I can handle it." I told her, hoping that I could.

Karena shook all over and she bent over suddenly retching she spewed over the floor and then with a disgusted look moved uneasily to a different area of the cell. Where she sat sniffing and taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down.

" She took me to Yukio's room. Yukio ordered her to leave us alone. Soon as she left he turned to me and asked what I thought about his daughter, especially as I had meant so much to her as a child," Karena shook her head, " He informed me that Rama fought him longer then he had expected from a young child, she was very resistant but it made him admire her spirit all the more causing him to decide to break her one way or another." She chocked up and placed a hand in front of her face rubbing at her brow and whimpering " he told me that she gave up on Don, Leo then Raph but she almost refused to stop calling for her 'daddy and precious Karena' he felt he might have to kill her."

I winced at those words at one time Karena had loved Rama and the feelings had been mutual.

" That wasn't the worst of it though, Yukio said he taped every session he had of trying to break her and he showed me one. I didn't want to watch it but there was no way I could turn away, every scream pierced through me, she was so terrified and kept begging for help and I …" Karena sobbed and Aiden gave his mom a one arm hug.

" It is okay mom."

Karena hid her face as she cried while the children did their best to comfort their mother though they weren't sure how to go about it because the recent events was far beyond their abilities to understand or respond to.

" Yukio wanted you to see how she was tortured" Leo muttered grimly, he knew that Karena would hate to see any child so abused, but even worse was if Karena had seen even some of what Yukio had done to Rama at the age of seven, now she could worry that her children could also suffer a similar fate or something worse at his hands.

" I don't think I'll ever get those screams out of my head. She was hurt bleeding and crying begging for us to come help her, she kept saying she was sorry for breaking the rules and that she would be a very good girl if we only got her away from the bad ninja." Karena continued in a shaky voice, " She believed we would help her and come for her. We failed her Leo."

" We didn't know Karena we thought Rama had died in the sewers. We never found any thing you know that" Leo insisted, " You also know if we had found any proof of her being alive somewhere we would have gone for her. She was family then."

" Yukio had his voice disguised as he kept repeating that her name was Kirra, and that her daddy and Karena didn't love her. She was to obey him and become his kunoichi and every time he spoke she would just scream in terror and he would attack her with some weapon." Karena murmured through her sobs, " She knew he was a bad ninja then. Yukio turned off the tape and let her back in. That was when Yuko asked me to stay with him and he would let you go free."

" Like hell he would" I snorted in disbelief.

Leo gave a small smile, as he looked over at Karena " I have a feeling that you didn't quite jump at his gracious offer." He remarked wryly.

" Of course not. He has got to be the lowest, most despicable **thing** that has ever been given the right to breathe air" Karena responded a bit sharply, as she tried to get her emotions back under control " I kneed him in the jewels and that is when Ramiela decided to kill me."

Leo turned his head away " He wanted you to know exactly what he did and how, wanted you to see the proof for yourself but he also wanted you to tell us. He wants us to know that she will do anything that Yukio asks her to." Leo clenched his hands into fists, " In fact the offer might have been a sham. If he knew how much you meant to Rama at one point then he was probably doing it in hopes you would react and have Rama hate you."

Karena gasped as if the thought hadn't occurred to her " You mean he was just testing her obedience to him? And I walked into it!" Karena demanded.

" Possibly, he wanted you and the rest of us to know that Ramiela is truly **his** servant and nothing more. He was proving that she would do as he wants her to, and there is no way we can get to her." Leo answered.

Karena shook her head " Do you know how disconcerting it is to know a person you once loved and cared for so much, could look you straight in the eye and threaten to kill you?" She shot out, " And to think she does this for the S.O.B who tortured and hurt her in the first place."

I leaned my head against the cool concrete wall '_oh gods Rama, if we had only found you. If we had only known we would have come for you. We would have kept the faith you once had in us.'_

I had a heavy sinking feeling in the pit of my belly, like I had just swallowed some large rocks or some other item that set heavy inside of me.

Maybe it was all true, especially as Don's theories seemed to be correct. Maybe she had been gone too long and there was no way she would ever come to help us escape because she had promised her life and her soul to the devil when she was a child, and he was not about to let her go.

She had willingly accepted all the demon had offered her in exchange for her own life, taking his initial programming calling him father, willing to obey his every order and whim while she turned her back on her flesh and blood family, which she had probably felt had let her down, in the first place.

What other choice had Rama been given?

None, whatsoever, her choice had been life or death, Acceptance or denial it was that simple.

Did Rama know back then how close she was to dying herself, when she accepted Yukio's words as truth instead of lies? Did she realize the only way she could live was to accept his words? Or was it a simple matter of she hurt a great deal and accepted Yukio's words to stop the pain she was being made to endure?

It didn't really matter how it had come about, the end result was the same Rama had accepted his words and pledged herself to him, because we had indeed failed Rama, the one time she needed us the most, we had failed to come.

Now would she ever be able to believe or trust in us again, in any way?

I felt a sob wrench free from the depth of my chest and everything my daughter had to face at Yukio's hands, I knew that it was because of him that my daughter might be forever lost to me.

I tried to block off my pain and I understood then rather bitterly, I might add, that this might be all the torture we received for today.

Leo had his torture in his fear of what Yukio could have been doing to his wife. Karena had been tortured in being forced to see and hear only a small portion of what Rama had suffered when she had first fallen into Yukio's hands.

My torture was in knowing how my daughter had taken her first step down the only path left to her, a path into a life full of torture and pain.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: It isn't easy writing Rama/Kirra this way for I never truly saw Rama as evil or capable of doing the sort of things I have her doing in this fiction. Still after living under Yukio's influence for so long some part of that had to play a part in the drastic change. But yes, she is also still very tortured in her own rights and the memories that are slowly making themselves known play a big part in showing how tortured she is and has been. Finding the perfect balance isn't easy for I did want readers to hate or dislike what Rama has become while at the same time feel a bit sympathetic for all she has been put through. Not easy to do. A gratitude for your insight.


	11. Chapter Ten: Special Ones

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter ten – Special ones.**

**Kirra:**

It was late in the evening before I was finally given a few hours to myself and since I wanted nothing more then to relax, and hopefully purge these strange images of Karena from my mind, especially after what she had done to father, I opted to go to my room to meditate.

Meditation of course required that you clear your mind of everything, letting no part of your day to day life, intrude. It wasn't easy to do for stray thoughts would often creep in and almost demand attention, but such stray thoughts had to be swept clear.

However I was used to the requirement of meditation but every once in a while even when I was deep in the meditation process an image would come up.

These images were not quite like the ones I had of Karena, for those images were very clear. While the images I had during meditation were never that clear or defined in any particular way. I would have a sense of certain beings around me and I could feel what their relationship was to me but these beings came more in a strong feeling of emotion or colour, like an aura.

I often wondered if these meditation images ought to be banned from my mind like the common thought of what I had to do yet in the day, but I had learned that they never lasted all that long but trying to banish them completely was almost impossible. It was often better to let these meditation images play themselves out, for once they had done so I could concentrate on true enlightenment.

So tonight when they came sneaking in, I almost welcomed it and as I had in the past I was willing to let the image play itself through.

I saw myself as a young child, very small crawling on the floor and I had a feeling that the young me was looking for one of the special ones. The younger self knew that there was two special ones in her life but she was looking for a specific one.

The one with the soft voice and soft body, the one who had the long thing that chased after him, which was so much fun to grab and yank on.

Suddenly I saw him, and this was what was truly strange, because for once I really could **see** him. It wasn't just a sense or a feeling of emotion, it was really **him!**

He had brown fur, which covered his entire body and that was what made him so soft, the fur was shaded some lighter areas, some darker, with a lighter underbelly, he had dark brown eyes and long whiskers on a pointed nose, and a long skinny hairless tail. He wore a battered faded robe about his thin body.

With seeing him so clearly I was able to think of his name even before my child self spoke it in the image that played on.

" Spiner."

He pulled me onto his lap and I stood on chubby legs, bouncing slightly in his arms and on his legs as I hugged him. I saw him say something but I couldn't hear what he said. It was lost in a low murmur. However I did feel the warmth love and tenderness in his quiet soothing voice and I knew it was part of what made him so special to me.

" Spiner" the child said again.

Then I felt the other special one in my life draw near and I turned on Spiner's lap to see him.

Only thing was I couldn't see him, except for the usual way, the feeling of emotion that came with him.

The feeling I got from him was a bright orange glow of love laughter and happiness. He brought joy with him like the sun itself when it made an appearance after weeks of rain and dreariness. He was special to me because he was…

I had to think about that. He was what…he was…Daddy!

With that revelation the image and my brief stint of trying to meditate vanished as if it was ninja trained. For once I wanted to bring the image back, probe at it, dig at it, try to find the answers that eluded me. Try to find out more of what I had seen.

If I had seen Spiner why not daddy?

Who **was** daddy?

I jerked my eyes open and exhaled a large breath, knowing any chance of meditating was well and truly gone now I tried to puzzle over the image itself.

Spiner, could he possibly have been a lab animal much as myself?

Was this a memory of my time in the lab? Could someone as young, as I had appeared to be in that image, I'd swear I was an infant judging from what the image had revealed of my younger self, be capable of remembering such an event later?

I had no doubts the image had shown a younger me, I had no doubt on that count, I just wasn't sure if it was possible for a child under the age of one to remember such an event. Perhaps the image was a fake, like the images with Karena were false.

I had a feeling the one I thought of as daddy, was not the man I called father. Father was not warm and happy, not the way I knew daddy could be. Nor was daddy Spiner, for it was obvious to me, that the two were separate beings.

That made me consider the fact that daddy might have been one of the scientist in the lab, a person who might have treated me with a bit more empathy then the others had and I might have called or thought of him as a father to me.

There was something about daddy, Spiner and my past that I felt I really ought to know but I had nothing to go on, except for the scant information father had given me over the years about my past.

Of course, father could only tell me, what he himself knew or was aware of and he probably hadn't worried about too much beyond the fact he had seen I shouldn't be living in those sort of conditions so took it on himself to adopt me and give me the best he had to offer. My past wouldn't concern or worry him in any way.

I knew it shouldn't worry me either, it was the present and future that was far more important as a ninja I fully accepted that fact, but I couldn't help but wonder about what my life was like before the lab, or if I had always lived in the lab. I had so many questions about my early life and no matter how I tried I didn't seem able to put them to rest.

I knew that even if there had been someone I related to quite well in the lab, didn't mean my father was aware of him, or what became of him.

Nor could I doubt father's story for I knew he couldn't, he wouldn't lie to me. I trusted him and he had no reason to lie.

I smiled a little in actuality if daddy really existed he might be happy that father had gotten me out of that horrible lab because father was able to do so much more for me then daddy ever could of.

I was free of the lab, I had travelled to various parts in the world, I was well educated and I had grown to be a powerful kunoichi. What more could I ask for?

Something from deep inside of me whispered, **_But are you loved?_**

Father loved me. I knew he didn't always show it, or say it. He was by no means demonstrative with his affections but there was many ways of showing and expressing love, and I knew that he did love me in his own way.

Again that whispered voice rising from some dark nether world within **_Are you sure? True he can make use of you, and he most certainly has made use of you and your skills. How often have you killed for him? Do you really think he cares for you, or do you think he might secretly hate you because you are like them?_**

I scowled and shook my head to clear those doubts from my mind. Of course father loved me, and he cared about me or he would never have stepped in to release me from the lab where I had suffered so greatly.

I realized that I had almost betrayed my father in the longings to know more about Spiner and the being called daddy.

I was ungrateful to question my father or his reasoning, I didn't need proof of how much he cared about me. It was enough to know that he did care. That he loved me in his own way.

Hadn't father told me that, I, of all the Foot at his command or disposal would be the leader of the Foot clan. As a leader he had taught me to never show weakness or rely on others, to stand on my own two feet.

He boasted of my skill and ability I often heard him, and he knew that he could trust me with his secrets for I would never betray him, I was loyal and obedient to him.

How could I ever betray the one man who had done so much for me? I owed him my life, my freedom and so much more. It was an honour and a pleasure to serve him or do a few simple tasks that he needed done, and I felt that it was small payment for all he had invested into me over the years.

I knew that I often felt like questioning him or became irritated at his often brisk indifferent way, or how sometime he treated me so much like a child but at the same time I knew that if I was to be all he expected of me, if I was to be what I should be, I would play the role of the dutiful daughter accepting whatever he gave.

I knew I failed him.

I took a deep breath and silently vowed that I would try harder to prove my worth to him. I would not fail him or let him down because he had never really let me down.

Daddy didn't matter to me. Daddy, if he existed, was a part of my forgotten past and the past was not important. Father was the one who mattered, father had been the one who had been there when I needed him.

Wasn't being there a form of love in and of itself? I was pretty sure it was.

Yes, I realized where I had been wrong and I was determined to bury my forgotten past once and for all and move on. I would prove my love to father in ways that he would appreciate and, he would know I was truly everything he wanted me to be.

Father was the only important and special one in my life, these images true or false, had no real connection to who I was now or who I was going to be in the future so I pushed them aside.

TBC

Lunar Ninja: I see you and your dragon friends have found The Enemy. Hang on tight because Rama is slowly going come to her senses one way or another. As for next chapter we have a wonderful cliffy that will have you ready to sic your dragons on me. After all in the original story I was called an evil author and the devil for what I do in chapter 11! So don't miss it cause I know how you love your cliffies girl! A gratitude for all your insights.

Reinbeauchaser: Yes Yukio's game playing gets more intense and strategic every time you turn around and poor Rama/Kirra is really caught up in the mess. Next chapter is the one that you might have some problems with just keep in mind what I told Rama when I wrote the story in the first place. There will be light eventually. Look at the list I sent you if it helps. Yes such a pity that so many parents lose their children in more ways then one.

A gratitude for your insight.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Execution

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I don't own the monopoly of any ninja kicking adolescent transformed turtles.

**Chapter Eleven: Execution**

**Kirra:**

I reported to father early in the morning and even though I hadn't slept much, after being plagued by pesky dreams yet again, I was ready and willing to do whatever he might require of me. I was determined to be the dutiful daughter.

Father was as usual busy at his desk but he greeted me and shoved the papers to one side " Kirra I have heard talk from the guards that the turtles seem very interested in you and refer to you as Rama."

" Michaelangelo calls me that" I admitted, " He is only trying to deceive me father. He is hoping that I will help him and his family escape but it isn't going work Master" I assured father, " He is my enemy and his words means little to me. Besides you know how I feel about people who lie to me."

" Yes, Kirra I am well aware of your feelings towards such people" father admitted smiling slightly, " I am pleased that you see through his deceptions and are aware that he will **stop **at nothing to get free. I wouldn't put it past them to use some form of mind control Kirra so be aware to it" father cautioned me " Of course they assume that because of the similarities you share that you might feel some sort of kinship bond and will be quite willing to betray me."

I snorted " They might dream of it happening but it won't. You are my Master and it is a pleasure to serve you, but even more you are my father and I know I wouldn't even be alive if not for you" I replied sincerely. " Even when I was schooling in Japan and you were so busy you would take time to come see me and check in on my training."

Father nodded " I wanted to ensure that you were trained right, I could not hand leadership over to just any one Kirra. Still I am glad to hear you say all that you have, acknowledging all I have done to make you who and what you are today. So many others would not appreciate what I have given you." He remarked calmly " I have no doubt of your loyalty, you have always been faithful. Some of the Foot have no such compunctions."

I knew what he meant there were a few Foot Soldiers who had tried to kill him over the years, as his bodyguard I had learned to protect him from such fools.

" The turtle's demise isn't far off, in fact I have a feeling by about the end of this week they ought to be ready but they have a few more lessons they must learn first."

" It ought to be a pleasure teaching them" I smirked a bit.

Father nodded curtly in agreement " Still I do not **care** to hear such stories of the enemies trying to mess with you. I should have known they would **try **it," he growled.

" It means nothing they can't sway me" I insisted meaning it. I felt something inside swell at his words. He truly must love and care for me if he was so concerned about the games the turtle clan was playing. I knew I was right to trust him to believe in him; he had never let me down.

" I know that but I can not overlook this Kirra" father stood up and walked around the desk to give my shoulder an affectionate squeeze, " They must learn to leave you alone. Come we are going put a stop to this."

I felt grateful that he would seem so protective of me. It was as if he was justifying my faith and belief in him, not that I needed any justification.

I followed him with a light step down to the prison eager to see how he intended to punish the enemies.

The guards and prisoners both tensed upon seeing us enter, though I knew it was father's presence alone that made them all nervous, to command so fully that it caused this sort of reaction seemed almost admirable. After all if people feared you they were less inclined to do stupid things.

Father glared hard into the male's cell " I have heard vicious rumours that you turtles might be planning to steal my daughter from me" he declared icily, " That you call her Rama and you hope that she will free you if she can be made to believe that she is part of your family." Father scowled, " have you forgotten that it was **she **who helped capture and imprison you in the first place? Yes she spared those three" he gestured towards the other cell " but she did so only to please me. Such a loyal and faithful child, how can I not feel proud of her, and of course she is well aware of how I feel for her."

" Yeah you got her well trained all right. She will obey any command you give never once question your authority. Treat you with love and respect you don't deserve" Raph paused a smirk coming to his face, " Let me guess she is the replacement for the dog that was smart enough to run away."

Father arched an eyebrow " She has free will. She serves me out of gratitude." He corrected simply.

" And fear" Michaelangelo interjected, " What is free will after all when the only thing you are free to choose is obedience, or harsh severe punishment, perhaps death even."

Father looked towards me " Do you fear me Kirra, do you feel you have no choice or freedom in your life?"

Father knew my answer, even without me speaking it " I have a choice but I know what you have done for me Master and while your punishments may be harsh, I have found I grow stronger from them and I can't say I regret what I am. You have helped bring out the best in me."

Mike snorted " Like hell" he whispered.

I ignored his comment as I smiled at father " I feel you must know what you are doing and I am content to stay and learn from you."

Father smiled " See she is not a dog to stay at her Master's heel, she knows what I can give her."

" You have programmed her well giving her the illusion of choice" came a weary sigh from Donatello " Even her answer may be suspect due to her training."

Father sneered " Listen, I do not know what game you turtles are playing, what story you have woven and insist on keeping to, but I will not stand by while my enemies try to get my daughter to betray me." Father snapped " Those of you who, are trying to make her believe she is part of your family. I will **never** allow my daughter to be taken from me by one of my enemies" he ranted giving a hard pointed stare towards Michaelangelo.

" You **Bastard!"** Michaelangelo spat as he jumped to his feet and lunged to the end of his chains, a look of sheer hatred twisted on his face. He looked like he was quite willing to take father on then and there.

I bristled at the insult he had given to my father and flicked two shuriken at the orange masked turtle, I knew if I threw them just the right way they would slip between the bars of the cell, both projectiles found their mark. One throwing star in his arm the other a leg.

Father chuckled " As you can see my daughter might obey my commands but she also has quite a mind of her own, and she is ever quick to defend me." Father paused, " You Michaelangelo" the name came out spoken with great scorn, " Seem to upset Kirra greatly." He then turned to look at me " You really hate him don't you."

" He is a liar and a deceiver. He thinks he can talk his way out of trouble with his pretty little words, hoping to befriend me but it won't work" I insisted " I'd love a chance to cut his tongue out. I have no love for him but I would enjoy nothing better then making him suffer" I declared vehemently.

" Really Kirra? You have ever been faithful to me and I would like to see what you could do with him. From now on he is yours to do with as you please" father decided " hurt him as often or as little as you like, but do try to keep him alive for the family execution. Consider it a reward for your services."

I smiled I could now teach the smart mouth turtle all the lessons I wanted to give and even if I did by chance kill him during one I knew father wouldn't hold it against me. It was a chance to prove myself to father and silence the pesky turtle all at once, now really what could be better?

" Now for those of you who insist on trying to turn Kirra, let it be known, that if I hear any more talk along that line I will have one of you killed." Father stated clearly, " As it is, I have heard far too much of this talk of having Kirra turned against me, so it is therefore necessary that one of you die **now.**"

"**NO!" **Leonardo roared springing suddenly to life in his shackles.

Father sneered, " Guards watch him one move, one sound from him and shoot him so that he suffers most painfully before he dies. You turtles must learn not to mess with **my **daughter."

The guards raised their weapons locking them on to the turtle leader, he gritted his teeth glowering at us, his body tensed with pent up rage, but otherwise he complied not quite willing to throw his life away, just yet.

Father turned to look into the other cell Karena gasped and pulled her children protectively behind her.

" Leave my children alone!" she hissed sharply.

" Which one do you wish Master, her, the girl or Ryu?"

" I think the girl will serve our purpose Kirra."

I nodded as I took the keys from one of the guards unlocked the door and entered the cell drawing my sai, I left the door unlocked knowing father would guard it.

" Leave her alone! Take me instead" Karena begged, " Do whatever you want just don't kill her."

" Master doesn't want you, you had your chance yesterday and you threw it away. If I have to kill you and the boy to get her I will. Once you and your unborn child is dead who will protect your child then?" I demanded, " face it may as well lose one now." I remarked coldly.

The boy edged around his mother standing in front of her " You leave my sister **alone!** You can't have her," he ordered briskly.

I sighed enough waiting, it was time to move delaying the inevitable would not make things any easier on them. I sheathed my sai as if turning to give up I then struck.

I moved in fast taking the boy and tossing him hard to the other side of the cell, knocking the wind from him, since I was all ready low from that strike I knocked the woman off her feet with a dragon tail kick. I caught her easing her to the ground, which she really didn't deserve and plucked the sais from my belt tossing it so it went through the side of her top and the tines entangled into the chains on her wrist shackles. Pinning her with ease.

As I moved to grab the girl she pulled back and kicked out aiming for my plastron in hopes of knocking me back, if she had succeeded she could have then grabbed one of my weapons, but I grabbed her outstretched leg yanking on it hard pulling her off balance and she fell to the floor.

" Nice try little one but it will be better to die without fear if you can, for then at least you die with some honour" I whispered to her, willing to give her that point of advice before her execution, after all she had almost got the best of me.

I hauled the girl up and placed a katana blade near her throat as I held her and forced from the cell into father's arms.

I headed back in to the cell katana drawn keeping a wary eye on the boy and his mother as I retrieved my sais before leaving and locking the cell securely behind me.

Ryu got up and rushed over screaming " Kali!" he sounded close to tears.

I saw the leader tremble slightly in his restraints and the guard's fingers tighten slightly on the trigger.

Father nodded his approval " Well done Kirra any one else would have killed all of them for the one."

" I saw no need to kill them at the moment" I replied indifferently.

I heard Karena break into sobs as she pleaded relentlessly " Don't hurt her please, Don't take my daughter from me."

Aiden meanwhile bashed, kicked and raged at the metal bars as if determined by sheer force of will alone to bend them or break them with his hands so he might attempt a rescue of his sister.

" **Don't you touch her! You leave her alone Bakas!"** he roared.

It seemed we had truly woken the dragon in him.

" Come now it will all be over quickly that is if Kirra's aim is true" father stated casually.

" I have never failed in an execution killing yet" I insisted as I placed my sai back in my belt and drew one of my katana.

Karena placed her hands over her mouth before screaming " Aiden come here, get away from there, don't watch!"

The boy however didn't wish to leave the front of the cell he clung to the bars, reaching his fingers through calling to his sister.

Father ignored the scene in the cell gently caressed the child's face with a finger " Such a pretty child, ah such a pity but you must learn the consequences. You tried to steal my daughter from me, so now I will steal yours." He gave a sympathetic shake of his head, " Be thankful it will be quick and learn before too many lives are wasted. When you disobey me you will suffer the consequences."

The girl flinched jerking back her face growing pale and her eyes round with fright.

Father did a quick kick and pushed the girl sharply causing her to drop to her hands and knees in the concrete aisle. Almost instantly he was kneeling in front of her a dagger, that he must have had secreted somewhere in his clothing, materialized in his hands, was held close to her throat.

" Stay like that. Don't move" father ordered her.

I looked up and saw that Karena had managed to drag her struggling son away from the front of the cell, she was shaking her head at me and mouthing the words " No don't" over and over in a soft whisper.

I could sense the tension in the air and the anger of the turtles in the cell behind me, one guard swung his rifle over towards Raphael who was attempting to slip out of his shackles. The sound of the gun shot echoing in the confines of the prison area.

When the turtle didn't desist a warning shot was fired hitting him in a muscle of the upper leg, only then did the turtle stop, but he continued to growl and curse as if giving vent to every thing that Leonardo could not.

I took a firm stance, one that would keep me balance and yet aid in my job ahead, I measured the blow with my katana by dropping it ever so lightly on the back of the girl's neck. She tensed as she felt the cold metal blade touch her skin.

I raised my weapon, and a tense apprehensive silence filled the air, I could sense so much fear and hatred and I knew it was time to get this task over with, so I gave a slight nod father's way letting him know I was ready for his command.

" Now Kirra" he said.

Before he even finished my name my katana was dropping fast…

TBC

Author's note: Am I not a stinker? For this chapter I was once called evil and a devil. I can't understand why. Now you have to admit that, is quite the cliffy I have left readers on. Unfortunately I still have to do the re write of chapter 12.Ramica.

Lunar Ninja: Mocking? I wasn't mocking you, want mocking look at the author's note above minus the last bit about not having 12 rewritten yet because that is the truth. I guess I best get to it huh? A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: How did you manage this chapter? I hope all right and that I haven't given you a heart attack. Ah poor Kirra/Rama so lost to her programming that seeing the truth for what it is, is a hard thing to see. She really can't see the forest for the trees. A gratitude for your insight.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Hope Fading

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter twelve - Hope fading**

**Michaelangelo:**

All of us were still, silent numb, the only sounds coming from across the way Karena's unrelenting sobbing, not that I could blame her for her tears or her hurt at this moment in time.

I couldn't believe, couldn't accept what I had seen and yet I knew now that I had to face facts and accept what the others had accepted long ago. I had truly lost my daughter.

My brothers had been right she was the Enemy, a Foot Soldier through and through and there really was no hope for escape. She wouldn't help us, no she'd just speed us on our way to meet death.

Rama could kill any one of us, I had to keep that in mind now, forget about everything else.

I'd always been the optimistic one of the bunch the one able to see the silver lining and who believed in that old adage of when life hands you lemons make lemon aid. No problem ever seemed impossible to solve. Until now that is.

It was clear by her present actions, that any part of Rama was dead. She looked like Rama but that was all for Yukio had claimed her for himself and moulded her into his own.

After watching the events that unfolded, unable to stop or prevent the inevitable outcome I could quite honestly say that I was afraid for my life. I was afraid my daughter was going kill me, especially as Yukio had given me to her as a gift.

I meant **nothing **to her. None of us meant a damn thing to her.

That was a hard and bitter pill to swallow, for it meant we had nothing really left to live for. All we had was whatever was left of our pathetic lives and I knew Yukio would make our lives terrible indeed.

I knew the rest of the family had to hate Rama now, not that I blamed them. I knew by her actions alone that the clan would now never accept her as part of our family or clan even if she did come around to help us, which was highly doubtful, she would be a lone ninja without a clan. She could not be trusted not now.

I sensed the family's anger and hatred but try as I might I couldn't feel any hatred or anger towards Rama. Hating Yukio was very easy, I never knew I could hate so much, as I hated him. I felt that I could literally kill him with my bare hands if given a chance, but I couldn't feel even a hint of anger for Rama.

I pitied her and I loved her. I felt great empathy for her and knew even in her obedience to Yukio that it was not really something that she might choose to do if she was really free to make a choice for herself.

How I longed to say or do something to stop her from committing that unspeakable crime of killing her cousin but she wouldn't listen to me. Wouldn't hear what I had to say. Rama didn't need us or our clan she had Yukio and the Foot.

I bit my lip until I felt blood and stopped, opened my eyes and stared at the red mark on the concrete floor, the blood had been left there as a warning to us all. It was starting to thicken and congeal, it was an awful sight to see and somehow it managed to continually draw the eye no matter where you tried to look.

A warning, a blood red warning, the blood of family spilled. Yet a warning was all that whole charade had turned out to be.

It had been another display of Yukio's hold over Rama, proof of how willing and obedient she was to him, how loyal she remained to his programming.

I had watched as she started her down ward swing, putting full force and weight into it for the killing blow. Hardly had she started down then Yukio almost whisper bid her to stop.

In an instant Ramiela shifted the grip of her katana so that it went and pointed upward but the quick counter movement caused the sword to keep heading in the new direction and her hands and body shifted to keep control of the weapon. The katana swung down again but its movement were starting to decrease the katana sliced a bit into the side of Kali's neck.

Kali had howled at the pain and the sight of her own blood spilling from the fresh wound.

It was a mark of Rama's skill with the katana that she had been able to turn a killing blow into one that left a bad but none life threatening injury.

Rama turned her body a bit and I saw her raise an eye ridge as if questioning Yukio's sudden change of heart but she didn't say a word, just stood waiting for his next order as if not sure what to do.

" Back down Kirra. Let the child go back for now. Let this be a warning to them, next time it shall be for real" Yukio stated calmly " The girl will have to die if the turtles try to steal you from me again" he declared sharply his eyes boring into mine.

Then Yukio looked at the injury and " Bandage that up for her Kirra so she doesn't make an absolute mess of the place." He muttered as he stood up and prepared to leave.

" Yes Master" Rama intoned as she sheathed her katana giving him a puzzled look as if she still didn't understand.

Kali of course kept squirming and wanted back with her mother and brother desperately not wanting anything to do with Rama, who was being very thorough with the cleaning and care of the wound.

Rama informed Kali rather sharply to stop acting like a baby and act like a kunoichi. " You ought to be thankful you are still alive stead of bleating like a sheep" She scolded before returning her to the cell.

Then Rama came into our cell and plucked her shuriken from out of me and smirked my way before she left us alone with the guards.

Kali was wrapped in Karena's arms and the poor girl was shaking uncontrollable as a delayed reaction to the shock and stress. Karena of course was so worked up with what had seemed like the imminent death of her child, followed by the child's release was unable to stop her tears just yet, though they did seem to be dying down now.

Leo looked my direction " Mike from now on forget getting her back. She is Yukio's daughter. Her name is Kirra and she is **our enemy."** He insisted, " She would have killed Kali. Open your eyes and accept the truth. Do **nothing** to aggravate her or Yukio." He demanded.

His very words made me want to yell at him, how could he be so insensitive, so foolish. Did he really believe that Yukio would let any of us live forever, just by complying with Sekora's rules?

Before I could respond to my brother though Raph was doing it for me.

" Lay off Leo" Raph barked, " I don't see you doing a damn thing to get us out of here. You just want to wait around here until Yukio decides to kill us off." He fumed and I could tell he was in the mood to continue his rant.

Only Don cut it off right then and there " All of you **don't**" Don snapped sharply.

It grabbed all of our attention because Don wasn't normally one for yelling or shouting he was usually so quiet.

" This isn't the time for us to start fighting amongst ourselves. By doing that we are playing right into Yukio's hands. He wants us to hate her."

" You told us that before." Raph muttered.

" You all seemed to have forgotten it" Don retorted, " Yukio is doing his best to cut ties between our clan and her. Stop and think why would he do that unless he was afraid that she **might** do something against his training?" Don asked, he obviously all ready knew the answer he just wanted to see if we knew.

Silence however greeted him, we were still pretty much in shock so we weren't exactly thinking all that clearly.

" I was probing her mind a bit" Don confessed, " She didn't seem to notice the intrusion, under her compliance to Yukio is confusion. I think she is starting to remember things and question her training, perhaps it is only on a subconscious level at the moment." Don explained, " But if **I** sense it then Yukio must as well."

" So?" Raph demanded curtly.

" So Yukio must know she is starting to recall certain things, he knows it has to happen with her just being around us. He knows she is questioning things but he still wants her torturing us, or more importantly Mike." Don pointed out " Which means Ramiela is about to suffer even more as her training comes into conflict with her past."

I jerked my head up at his words unable to comprehend the why of it all.

" Why Don?" I gasped suddenly fearing for Rama even more then for myself.

" He wants her to suffer Mike. She is as much a victim of this as we are. If Yukio is able to confuse her enough it could result in a mental breakdown. It is as if he wants to drive her insane. If he does that she'll be no good to anyone and he might even kill her then."

I closed my eyes not wanting to see or hear any more.

What kind of crazy world had we entered when a psychopath like Yukio could roam free have the world at his feet and get away with such devious plots to his fellow man?

All I knew was I was flooded by a wealth of memories of a time when Rama had truly been my daughter.

I saw her stealing Raph's sais on him, saw her in lessons with Leo, saw ones of Karena teaching her to read and print, and ones of us playing on the playground or cooking in the kitchen. There seemed to be a flood of memories. Reminding me what a bright and intelligent child she had been back then, and how spirited she was.

I knew Yukio had to be doing this for a reason. He was playing his game and by his rules. But I was tired of this game and I knew time was running out.

My daughter, my enemy.

The two things just didn't make any sense to me. I wanted to help her but I knew Rama wouldn't accept my help.

I also had to be careful because I didn't want my family suffering the consequences.

I knew for the good of the clan I had to forget her, drop the faith and belief I had maintained in her up to this point. After seeing how willing she was to hurt and destroy us you would think that it would be easy to do.

It wasn't. I couldn't let my faith in her just wither and die inside me.

I wished there was someone I could go to and seek advice or help, I really needed it now, but I knew what my brother's decision was. Leo had made that very clear that as jonin he was not going to accept any more talk about 'Rama.'

I knew that he had the right of it, he was making the best decision for the clan. But I also knew that halting all talk about Rama and how she might help us wasn't going change the outcome any.

I felt a few tears slip from my eyes for I wasn't ready yet to give up on my daughter. I had to try and help her even if it did nothing for us. I would do my best to abide by Leo's orders but I could **not** just forget Rama all together, not with Don's grim opinion of what lay ahead for her.

I knew things were fast coming to a point where I might have to make a choice of my long lost daughter or my family.

I had never gone against the jonin order's before I knew by doing so I could be banished, so banish me, it wasn't like they could send me to a different cell, they couldn't do that but they would stop talking to me. They would act as if I didn't exist to them.

I knew that I might have to make my final choice on that matter soon, I was also aware that my choice either way might not amount to a big deal. It might not change the path we were on, or the one Rama travelled that was parallel to our own.

I sighed heavily as I realized hope was fading fast and we were caught between the proverbial frying pan and the fire.

TBC

Rat Queen Valarian: A new reader or possibly an old one by a different name I'm not sure, which, either way glad to have you aboard. I think I might be able to handle a rat better then I can Lunar Ninja's dragons. At least you seem to like the story thus far, though the last chapter might have left you in some suspense. Hopefully this chapter can put you at ease. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: rat queen agreed for you for what it is worth. Meanwhile I said it before I will say it again evil? I am evil? Bwahahahahahaha! Well now that that is over with, this may not be an Abraham and Issac but hopefully is sufficient. Hope this also ends your personal torture for now. I would have had this chapter up sooner but our internet was down. A gratitude for your insight.


	14. Thirteen: Target Practice

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Thirteen - On Target**

**Kirra:**

I had been hard pressed to obey the hold command father had given me. I wondered what he might have done to me, if I had been unable to stop from killing the girl. The fact that she still had been injured might possibly mean further repercussions, but somehow I don't think father was too worried about taking me to task for inflicting the wound, even he knew how hard it was to change a killing stroke at the last second.

I now sat on my bed, in the lotus position hoping to relax and find some peace in meditation. A peace that I could not seem to find in my heart, soul or mind for it remained forever apart from me, and elusive.

Until now the images that came to me, would do so once in a while but the images came more frequently, then they had before the prisoners arrived in our headquarters. Before these images had been so easy to ignore or shrug off, but with them becoming more consistent I found them, extremely more difficult to push aside and forget them.

My recent visit to the cells with father had seemed to stir up the images even further so that now they almost demanded to be seen and acknowledged.

As I tried to relax I saw an image of Karena, bent over my younger self, showing me how to print my name. I could see the Ra in very scrawly letters, my younger self looked up at her with a wide grin as I started the letter m.

I scowled, this image truly made no sense. I was Kirra I had no m in my name, an ra was of course acceptable, and due to my youth the r might look far more like a capitol letter then the proper lower case version that ought to be used.

Then before I could make sense of that image another came on its heels.

This vision was of two tiny turtle babes crying in a crib, tiny fist flailing about, as they howled. I glanced up into Karena's face.

" Take them back cause all they do is cry and cause trouble," I demanded sharply.

She laughed, " Honey I wouldn't take them back even if I could, I love Aiden and Kaliann, I think they are beautiful."

" No they not" I remarked sullenly.

Another vision of Kaliann as an infant on chubby legs trying to take a few baby steps on her own, only to fall back onto her well padded rear, she started to cry. While the young me, went and picked her up cuddling her close " Its okay Kali, you keeps trying you'll get it yet. Your not hurt any, cause I gots ya and I'm not gonna let ya get hurt ever."

My eyes snapped open my body trembling, I could not even empty my mind enough of these pestering things to meditate. All of these images were lies, none of them were true, they couldn't possibly be real.

If it was real, if it was true and that was a mighty big **if,** it would mean I once had been a part of the turtles family and that was such an absurd notion that anyone could ever conceive of.

I shook my muddled head in hopes of clearing my thoughts.

Just because I had seen how much they cared and looked out for one another, the concern and empathy they shared between one another, was so strong and welcoming in some small way, to one such as myself.

I knew a part of me wanted that. I didn't really have a family, father was the only one to care for me in any way. I knew the Foot didn't give a damn if I lived or died. In fact, to be honest, most of the foot clan probably would have preferred me dead, they just hadn't found a way to do it yet. Until they did they had to snap to my command.

I wanted to be loved, accepted for who I was, I wanted to be…I don't know.

I knew father appreciated all I did for him, he valued my services, gave me the best of everything but I had always felt that there had been something missing in my life, a void that father alone couldn't fill in any way. All his money and power didn't change the void into some thing of substance.

Even as I thought that I realized how awful that sounded because it made it seem that father really hadn't done enough for me, when in reality he had done far more for me then any other foot soldier.

I recalled all the time I had trained in Japan and father busy as he was, would come to visit and check up on my training helping me get a certain move, training me and then before he would leave we'd share some private time in the Ryu's gardens while following the tea ceremony rituals.

Those had been good times, the times I cherished the most. I looked forward to his hurried visits, and often strived harder in my lessons after he left, for I seemed to know then all he had sacrificed to be with me for that time.

I was truly a traitor to my father, unworthy and unappreciative of all he had done for me. My father might be hard to please but he was, in essence, a good man and he deserved far better then my disrespectful thoughts.

I wanted to chase these images from me, banish them forever where they couldn't reach me. They only caused such desperate longings and they made me feel that my father was not the man that I knew him to be.

I had never thought that the enemies presence here could cause me to feel this way about father, the man I cared for and would die for willingly.

These images were lies and I didn't want to grant them any more attention then what they had been given.

Suddenly it occurred to me that ninja mind tricks might account for some of the images, perhaps the turtles had felt enough of my longing that they had been able to plant these images ever so carefully without my knowing of it. Perhaps that was why Michaelangelo insisted on calling me Rama and playing up to me.

I gritted my teeth growling suddenly as I realized now what must have happened. I grinned as I thought of the fact that I had some spare time and since meditation wasn't working perhaps a quick lesson might be in order.

Torturing Michaelangelo might be all that it took to rid myself of the bothersome images.

**Michaelangelo:**

I knew as soon as she came in what she was after, and who she was here for. She wanted me, after all I was the present her 'father' had so graciously handed over to her for her personal toy and pleasure.

It seemed I was about to face my daughter for the first time and I could only hope that I would come out of this alive.

" Leave Mike alone" Raph growled at her as she moved towards me.

" He is mine, to do with as **I please,** and I intend to make him regret his lying words and his schemes once and for all" she hissed.

" Looks like I won't find a way to talk myself out of this" I muttered to myself.

Rama busied herself releasing the shackles and securing my hands behind my back, she roughly pushed, often hitting me, as she guided me to a practice room. She secured the door then turned me lose.

I had no idea what she had planned, course all the torture sessions I had been through to this point gave me a vague idea of what I might expect, though no one else, in those sessions had permitted me the sort of freedom she now had given me.

If anything that freedom tended to make me more nervous.

I saw her reach for one of her belt pouches and I knew she had to be going for some weapon, she withdrew a handful of shuriken.

I had all ready seen the precision she had shown, with the throwing stars, when I had insulted Yukio and she had managed to throw two shuriken so they passed through the thin opening and into me.

I suddenly hoped like crazy that the shuriken she now held were not poison tipped so that the poison would work its way into the blood stream, if they drew blood.

That thought was not exactly a happy thought for the moment. I was pretty sure I was going be used as target practice and the smirk on her face warned me that was indeed, what was about to come. Problem was I had no idea when or where she would start.

The anxiety alone was killing me, because I knew I had to wait for her to make that first move.

For once I wished that my daughter hadn't taken such an interest in ninja weapons as a youngster, in fact I was starting to believe that it had been a bad thing to encourage all the way around.

For a strange, almost surrealistic moment I could hear a four year old Rama dutifully chanting " I 'epect weapons. I no touch weapons less Sensay say so."

Of course that rule had never stopped her from going after Raph's sais.

Why couldn't she be four years old so I could send her to her room again or any other discipline that suddenly came to mind.

I took a deep breath and a moment to calm myself heightening my ninja senses, it had been a bit, since I had last been permitted to move so I might as well make the best of it.

She gave an evil twisted sort of smile " Lets see if you are as fast on your feet as you are with your tongue." She spoke sweetly but her eyes betrayed her true intent.

A subtle move of the wrist and I ducked darting to the side, dodged to the left. Hit the ground rolled then sprang to my feet prepared to move again.

I was glad that the first volley of projectiles had missed me, though some had come mighty close for comfort. I was kind of hoping to get my hand on one or more of the discarded shuriken in hopes of tossing them her way, either to knock her weapons off target or so she would have to defend herself from my throws.

As I did my best to escape the throwing stars I began to talk to her, in a long rambling one sided conversation. Whatever popped into my mind, call it verbal vomiting, I would spew out in hopes of making some sort of connection to her, so that maybe she would back down for a bit.

" Rama remember that kitten Raph saved for you, out on the farm. You called him Baka, because that is what Raph called him. Well we still have him" I declared then reconsidered " Or we did when you and your friends came to visit."

I hit the ground reached for a shuriken and I felt one hit into my hand. I gritted my teeth as I grabbed hold of that one two and tossed both at her.

" So you want to play do you liar?" She hissed.

" Hey, I never lied to you Rama" I protested.

She hadn't hit me too much as of yet, but I had a feeling she had only been testing my reflexes up till now because she was still going. All I could say is she must have had this whole thing planned for she was opening another pouch on her belt to withdraw more shuriken.

" I'm **Kirra!"** She flared firing off five of the throwing stars in rapid succession.

Two hit my right leg, one upper one lower, two hit my right arm in almost the same spot, and one bounced harmlessly off my carapace. Obviously she was now getting down to business.

" You are a despicable **liar,**" She snarled.

" Honest Rama I have never lied to you. Remember Splinter?" I asked as I managed by sheer luck or fluke, to avoid the next volley. " When you were a baby you used to chase his tail and grab hold of it yanking on it. You also used to teeth on his tail. He didn't care for that much but it kept you quiet and happy, so he sort of put up with it for your sake."

I had to stop talking as she was hitting me more often now, as if my words only infuriated her, as Don had expected might happen. Course her accuracy was dead on for the most part and I felt like I was starting to weaken because of recent events.

" I despise liars and you are one of the worst." She declared.

" Rama the only time I ever lied to you was about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny being real all right?" I stated, " But hey, girl cut me some slack I still believe in them."

Every time I went to grab a throwing star she would hit one into my hand most often into the fleshy part between the thumb and the first finger, where it could dig in, and bleed badly.

The blood that dripped from my hand onto my fingers made it hard to grab hold of any discarded weapon, never mind gripping it long enough to throw it.

" You will **stop your lying"** She roared tossing her last few shuriken I hit the floor trying to find a safe spot to land so that these would soar over head but as I dived for the ground she tossed a single sai.

The weapon pierced into my upper arm.

I winced and laid there, out of breath worn out and feeling utterly defeated. She strode over standing tall above me, she bent and pulled her sai from my arm causing me to wince in pain and the blood to flow freely. With casual ease she swung the sai tip to my throat.

" Best learned to keep your mouth shut!" she warned me before giving a snort of contempt before turning to gather her weapons.

I stayed where I was hurting, bleeding and knowing deep inside that I had failed miserably, there was no way of getting through to her. I didn't care any more, this session with her had finished what ever I could have hoped for. The only thing I wanted now was to die.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: I must try harder next time, so you aren't so sure of any set up. Ah well evil story sort of rubs off on me I guess, with a story as dark as this there must be some side effects. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: Okay I admit I was mocking you but I was doing it in a nice way, wasn't I? Drat me, okay drat, drat and double drat. There I have been dratted feel better? A gratitude for your insight.

Rat Queen Valarian: Splinter is dead in this fiction, he died before the invasion so the only role he can have is as a memory to one of the other characters. As for Mike it isn't easy for him to see his daughter like this, and I think this chapter made it all the more difficult. A gratitude for your insight.


	15. Fourteen: Apology

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Fourteen - Apology**

**Kirra:**

Most of his injuries weren't that bad but where my sai had pierced his arm was bleeding profusely and I knew that it wouldn't ease up on its own. I decided to put a bandage around it to control some of the mess in the cells, after all once the turtles were dead we would have to clean up the prison hold and dried blood wasn't easy to scrub up.

I realized that I had quite a few weapons that would need cleaning as well, but I was glad to have the practice I had achieved, moving objects added an all new dimension to perfecting throwing skills. He had served a purpose for my work out, at the very least, proving even mouthy enemies had their uses.

He lay silent, his eyes shut hardly even moving as I gathered my shuriken counting them to insure he wasn't hiding one on him. I smirked a bit pleased to learn that he could, indeed, keep his mouth shut.

I strode over towards him and he opened one eye staring up at me, as he finally opened the other eye. I saw no hatred or animosity, which I fully expected to see, instead there was a deep sadness, pain an empty futility as if he accepted his demise and was only waiting patiently for it to arrive.

I smiled in some ways I like this much better then anger. For this response meant he was beaten and that I had won.

" My father is Sekora Yukio and you are my enemy. I don't know you and I don't want to know you. You mean nothing to me and I feel nothing for you" I explained simply, " Correct that I feel a great deal of hatred towards you for all your despicable lies" I amended, " I went easy on you this time but next time I promise I won't be so gentle." I assured him.

"Thanks for the warning" he muttered wearily.

I took him back to the cell in silence and placed him back in his place. I stepped back to admire my handiwork and as I did so something happened.

An image practically slammed into me full force, I backed up hitting into the bars of the cell as I swore that somehow the battered Michaelangelo gained his feet and suddenly grew to such an enormous size he seemed to overwhelm me.

I saw a younger me dart behind the one I knew to be Splinter, peeking around the rodent's legs with fear and concern.

" Daddy?" she asked as if she wasn't sure it was him.

" What are you doing out of bed Rama llama ding dong?" He inquired looking straight at my younger self with an eye ridged raised. His voice gentle and warm.

" She had a bad dream Michaelangelo, and she became upset, even more, when she could not find you. I found her crying on the couch quite upset and have been trying to calm her down ever since." Splinter replied as he reached out to rest a comforting hand on me.

My younger self came out from behind Splinter " Daddy hurt?"

" Oh I just need a few Band-Aids Rama. I'll be all right" he answered me as he reached out to tousle my short dark hair.

" kiss beter daddy?"

" Sure you can come kiss me better" he agreed kneeling down as I went up and wrapped thin arms about his neck to plant a slobbery kiss on his cheek.

" Thanks I feel so much better," he declared.

" Luvs you daddy"

Michaelangelo glanced towards his three brothers " Aren't I the luckiest turtle in the world?" he crowed, before saying " I love you too Rama."

I was breathing hard; I seemed trapped caught up in the image that played out in my mind as if I wasn't capable of anything then watching the event play out before my very eyes.

I opened and closed my eyes quickly staring at Michaelangelo trying to make sense out of what was going on, he looked so much like the battered bleeding turtle of the vision that I was suddenly not sure just who I was, or where I was, or what was even going on.

" I'm sorry daddy," I whispered feeling tears burning at my eyes threatening to spill out.

Mike jerked his head up " Rama" he whispered.

I felt something coming on, something that was larger then me and I knew nothing could stop it from coming on full force. I felt like screaming, as I whirled to get away and far from the turtles, in hopes by getting away from them, I could stop the inevitable.

I knew I had to get out now.

I couldn't stay any longer.

I bolted from the cell and the prison hold itself as if I was being chased by demons, and I might as well have been.

**Michaelangelo:**

Daddy, she called me daddy. Had Rama finally somehow connected me to her past, to her real family? Did she realize now who I was to her?

I couldn't believe what I had heard, but right away Don tried to take that small victory from me.

I wasn't going let him though, not after all I had gone through for I had believed all hope was gone there wasn't a chance, but this made me believe that just about any thing could be possible.

" Don't go reading too much into it Mike" Don cautioned.

" What Don, how can I read anything into I'm sorry _daddy?_" I demanded, " Something must have triggered for her." I insisted.

" I don't believe it she sounded almost the way she did when she was a little kid." Raph gasped shaking his head then he grinned, " Talk about freaked out, though."

Don sighed, " Of course she was freaked out she was suffering from a flashback remembering some time when she was a child. The flashback, not what she did to Mike, is what brought about her apology. Trust me she isn't sorry for hurting you Mike." Don stated, " She is probably only now starting to connect us to her past but I doubt she accepts what she is seeing. If she does accept what her memory is telling her she will only be placed in conflict with Yukio's programming" Don grimaced, " Course that could possibly mean she might let her guard down."

Raph grinned " Really Don? Oh, I hope so let it drop around me. Just once that is all I ask for."

" We could use it to our advantage." Leo admitted.

Don laughed bitterly " You guys don't seem to get it. Her guard might drop but she will still obey Yukio because she knows what will happen to her if she disobeys him. If she recalls too much" Don sighed and gave a sad shake of his head, "Well I sure wouldn't want to be in her position right now." He murmured.

" The way she acted she is becoming a weak link in a very strong chain Don, it might be our chance." Leo kept his voice very low, communicating more telepathically then speaking his thoughts.

Don glanced away " Either way she is going be very messed up when she is done. I doubt she will get the nerve up to disobey Yukio if she does she will hate herself and live in fear, if she doesn't obey him" Don paused " She will have to live with the fact that she tortured and killed her true family" Don grimaced a bit, " If Yukio decides to let her live, which I highly doubt, he will have a mentally disturbed basket case on his hands. Trust me the name psycho won't even begin to deal with her problems." He muttered " Would be like Yukio to do that and keep her as a memento of what he accomplished."

I groaned leaning against the wall.

Everyone seemed to want to use Rama for their own ends and desires. Yukio wanted to use her to kill us off, Leo wanted to use her to gain our freedom, but no one seemed to care what it would do to Rama.

No one worried over what Rama might want to decided or choose for herself, if she was given a choice in the matter. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair that everyone insisted on using her as a pawn in their schemes. A pawn, a throw away piece to get what you truly desired, an item to be sacrificed that was all Rama was when you got down to it.

She would pay and suffer the worst of all but everyone seemed quite okay with that, except for me and perhaps, to some small extent Don.

" How will she cope?" I asked worried about her.

" I don't know Mike" Don answered morosely, " Right now she is only starting to connect us to the family she once knew. How she will react is any ones guess. Personally, I am just glad that I don't have to be the one to deal with her in the aftermath of her decision."

Poor Rama.

What I wouldn't give to help ease her confusion and turmoil. It seemed we were only hurting each other, and that was the last thing I wanted.

I sighed and relaxed trying my best to ignore the pain I was in.

Who would have thought that those three little words said so soft and low could cause me to feel all warm and wonderful inside.

She had said the nicest thing she had said to any of us, since we were first brought here, memory induced or otherwise those three words were special.

I held tight to those words.

For me it meant that my daughter was still in there somewhere and I had to keep hoping and believing in her because right now, possibly more then ever, she needed some body on her side.

As long as there was life there was hope that much was true. We has hope and so did Rama.

I vowed then and there, no matter what to be there for Rama. To help her if I could, if she gave me a chance, I loved her too damn much to let her go. I realized now that I had made my choice for Rama, my own daughter over the rest of my family.

I didn't feel bad about the decision for I felt inside that it was the right thing to do.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: Yes, Mike is basically hitting his head into a brick wall or so it might seem and keeps coming back for more. He has his work cut out for him into trying to reach his daughter. Meanwhile Rama's memory torture might have only begun. A gratitude for your insight.

Rat Queen Valarian: Never heard or seen Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories. For Rama she has been so brainwashed by Yukio that accepting the validity of her memories is not an easy thing to do, but at the same time she can't make sense of everything her memory is telling her. Keeping her in constant conflict over who is being truthful. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: No doubt on those images coming Rama/Kirra no longer has much choice in that matter but what they do to Rama is something else again And of course I admit to mocking you I have to mock somebody after all. A gratitude for your insight.


	16. Fifteen: Open Gates

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Fifteen - Open gates**

**Kirra:**

If I had thought these images were almost impossible before, then this was a harsh continual assault that bombarded every sense and feeling. I could not fight it or stop it, it grabbed hold and kept me prisoner.

It was as if the flood gates somewhere inside me had been opened and a massive tidal wave came crashing down, driving me wherever it would, sucking me down, tossing me about and all I could do was ride it out as best I could.

The images changed so quickly, giving me huge chunks here while other times just a pinch of something. I was different ages in each image but I'd say not much older then seven at the oldest image, and there seemed no rhyme or reason to how they played out, they definitely didn't seem connected in any way, which made it all the more confusing to me.

What was even worse, and totally impossible, was each image showed me as a part of the turtle's family.

I flopped down on my bed burrowing under the blankets on my bed, trembling and sobbing uncontrollably as the images hauled me along where they would. I had no control, I had lost it all, I was just along for the ride.

I was a small child, about three I guess, jumping up and down on a bed, " Sana come, Sana come" I chanted

Michaelangelo came into the room and shook his head " Santa isn't going to come until you lay down and get some sleep baby."

" Wanna see Sana." I declared.

Mike swooped me off my feet with an arm knocking me on to the bed " Nope its not allowed. Don't you know ol' Santa has ninja training. Nobody ever sees him." He told me with a smile.

Another image of me about six perhaps, I was sneaking into the kitchen stealing fresh baked cookies on the sly, while Michaelangelo's back was turned.

I knew it was a game for me, to sneak treats without letting him know, because I knew I wasn't supposed to have them. Suddenly he turned catching me with both hands and my mouth full.

" You keep out of it, you'll make yourself sick" he scolded me, as I swallowed what was in my mouth.

" Gonna chuck me out of my shell?"

" Darn right I will you impudent child," he confirmed as he reached for his weapons.

I laughed and ran out of the kitchen.

That changed shifted to one of me at the age of four or thereabouts I was in bed and Mike was sitting at my side.

" I gonna be kuochi daddy."

" You are going to be the best kunoichi ever Rama. A truly wonderful ninja and I will be so proud of you when you are" he assured me gently.

I gave a massive yawn before sinking back onto my pillows and pulling the blankets tighter about me.

" Good night Rama, sleep well. I love you. I will always love you." He bent and kissed my forehead before standing to leave my bedroom.

That faded and became something else.

" I nots a baby. Don't call me that. I a big girl daddy" I informed him.

" I know you are Rama and getting bigger every day but in some ways I will always think of you as my baby and my little girl. But I will try not to call you baby anymore."

Another flicker.

" Come on Rama it is time for you and I to take a trip topside" Mike called out.

I ran to him " We go to the park and play again?" I asked.

" No not this time honey." He squatted down " Instead we are going trick or treating get you a bag of goodies. Halloween is the one night a year you don't have to wear a disguise."

Another flash.

I was singing a song over and over again

" I am daddy's little monster…"

" Rama don't you come with an off switch girl?"

" …Round the bend…" I sang.

" You are darn well going to if you keep this up girl" He commented sharply.

" …I daddy's little monster…"

" Got that right he fumed."

" Up the wall…" I continued.

" Keep it up and I will quite personally and literally chuck you out of your shell" he warned me.

" Monster I drive…"

" **Augggghhhh!**" He screamed as he whirled and start to run " get her away from me."

I chased after him still singing, following him to the living room where Leo and Karena sat.

" Karena you are so dead for teaching her this song" Mike said.

Leo placed a protective arm around her shoulders " Your not threatening Karena are you?"

I whimpered _Why wouldn't it stop? Oh please let it stop!_

But it wasn't over not by a long shot for that image became one of me, and Leonardo in a crude dojo of sorts.

" Ninja weapons aren't everything Ramiela." He told me.

" Then why got weapons Sensay?"

" Sometimes we need them to protect ourselves but remember one important thing two of the greatest weapons a ninja has is his mind and his body because those can't be taken from us."

I gave him a puzzled look.

Another flicker and Leo was holding me in his arms, I could sense that he was proud of me.

" Is that how you get Raph's sais you sneak them?"

I nodded. " Uncle Raphiel know if I not sneaky."

" But why do you take them?"

That changed into a field of long grass I was walking behind the turtle called Raph when I saw something dart through the field, the grass swaying as it moved.

" Uncle Raphiel look, what was dat where it goes?"

" It was a cat Ramiela and it went down the hole." He explained.

" What if cat can't come out hole?"

" Don't worry what goes in must come out. He is probably scared and will come out when we leave."

" I wants cat" I went and bent down to look at the hole " Kitty! Kitty come out!" I yelled.

" Rama leave it alone your only scaring it" Raph grumped.

" Kitty not coming" I announced firmly " You get kitty."

It wasn't a question.

" I'm not helping that damned cat now are you coming?"

" **NO!**" 

Raph turned to walk away.

" Uncle Raphiel is mean! I hates you! You no help the kitty" I yelled at his back.

Raph turned to face me.

With tears in my eyes I looked up at him " Please help kitty" I begged.

" All right I will help the baka" Raph muttered in a resigned way.

" Kitty baka?" I wondered.  
" Oh yeah kitty is a Baka. He is such a big baka that baka just happens to be his name."

Another flash and I was in the sewers surrounded by a pile of gifts and uncle Raphael had handed me a red foil wrapped box, I was tearing bits of paper off of it to reveal the box and lifting the lid to see my very own sais.

" Uncle Raphiel got me sais!" I yelled bouncing to my feet and flung myself at him to hug him tight.

" Bout time you learned to handle them kid" he agreed.

The next image a field of grass, the night closing in, lying on my back snuggled up to the turtle named Donatello, as he pointed out the many stars and told me their names and stories about them.

That was followed by another scene of Don and I.

I was clinging to his carapace as he reached up and over his shoulder grabbing hold of me and sending me falling into his arms.

He gave me a startled look as he claimed, " You aren't my bo staff. Where is my trusty bo?"

I laughed wildly and yelled, " Gain!"

A quick flick and that faded merging into towering buildings that seemed to dwarf me, sounds, sights and smells overwhelming me. I was far from home and I couldn't get back and I was so scared.

A woman was holding me close telling me, " Daddy doesn't love you anymore because you were so bad. The clan had to kick you out, when ninja are very bad they can't be part of the clan anymore, but your daddy said you could come live with me and be my little girl. I'll be your mom Rama."

I knew her words had to be true, I knew I had been very bad that day and daddy had been very angry at me. I had taken Uncle Raphiel's sai something I should never have done, but I knew that I did it often.

Then I saw a face in the crowd, a person that I knew and I hoped would help me.

" Karena!" I yelled her name, through tears, wanting her to help needing her so badly.

Then another image came right on the heels of that one.

I was on the rooftop wearing an old filthy hooded sweatshirt playing with a boy named Jessie, when suddenly three ninjas, garbed in the black dogis that bore the mark of the Foot Clan appeared.

" Get down Jessie, you leave us alone. I kunoichi" I yelled at the soldiers as I took a defensive stance in front of my friend determined to protect him.

One of the soldiers laughed as if amused that I was going to fight them.

Then it vanished and no more came, my room seemed deathly silent now, except for my breaths that were coming in loud ragged gasps.

I didn't remember even coming to my room, I wasn't sure how I got here. The last thing I remembered was Mike in the prison cells. I had no idea how I came here, and when I glanced at the clock I realized a great deal of time had passed.

I whimpered low shaking my head, as if denying the passing of time.

These images were lies, they weren't true. They couldn't be true.

Father had found me in a lab, the marks on my arms and legs were caused from the experiments that had been run on me when I had lived there. was a lie, a hallucination. It was…something.

I tried to reassure myself that father wouldn't lie, I knew he wouldn't lie to me. He had no reason to.

These images truly had to of been born from some devilish ninja mind trick by the enemy, but I didn't know how, when or where they had managed to plant these evil seeds within me but I was determined to learn, for I knew in my heart it had to be a lie…

…Or was it?

TBC

Lunar Nina: Rama/Kirra has been remembering things for some time now so I don't know why you feel there is a cause for celebration just because she remembered Mike. As you can see she has recalled a bit more now what are you going do for all these memories? A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Congratulations! You have made it half way through this story. The thing about The Enemy is for the most part the chapters are very short because there is only so much I can do with it. As for memory triggers not a lot you can do with them as Rama/Kirra is learning. Unreasonable teachers had a few in my time and I was so grateful to have my parents backing me up against them too. A gratitude for your insight.


	17. Sixteen: True Or False?

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Sixteen – True Or False?**

**Kirra:**

The strange images continued to come. I tried to ignore them and push them aside but it didn't seem to work.

If this was a ninja mind trick it was very elaborate and I was starting to have my doubts over how such a thing could be planted in me, by the enemies. I was so much on guard and in reality we hardly spoke to one another, so the idea of it being a mind trick made very little sense.

I didn't get much sleep the night before, it was starting to be a habit going on very little sleep, under normal circumstances the lack of sleep alone would not be that bad, but with what seemed to be a constant barrage of images, on top of the fact I needed to have all my wits about me when dealing with our enemies, well I sort of knew that I was sliding downhill in my capacity to do my job correctly.

I managed to drag myself through the day, doing what was expected of me, running far more on automatic pilot then any thing but I was grateful for the day end when I finally slipped into my room and into bed, exhausted mentally and physically all I wanted was to sleep.

My head had been aching, pounding and throbbing through out the whole day and it wasn't about to let up even now in the darkness of my room. I longed for some sort of relief, as I rubbed my temples, so far everything I had tried to ease the persistent ache hadn't even touched the pain.

I closed my eyes groaning miserably and saw a large grassy field with dark low bushes in it, the warm sun was beating down and my younger self was busy picking fat, juicy berries off the bushes and cramming them into her berry stained mouth.

Michaelangelo was nearby also picking berries, which he dropped into a bucket that he carried, I sidled up next to him and my fingers tried to dip into the bucket.

Suddenly my fingers were rapped ever so gently " Get your fingers out of there girl" Mike scolded.

I looked up at him " Good berries daddy."

" Yeah but if you want me to make a treat out of them" he explained patiently giving a small shake of his head.

" What kind treats?" I wondered.

" Oh I don't know Rama a cake, or pie, maybe tarts or muffins. I could do all kinds of things with these berries if you would only stay out of them."

" I want pies and tarts," I decided.

" Then start putting berries in the bucket and not in your mouth" Mike spoke sternly but he laughed as if to ease the harshness of his words.

The image faded and I breathed heavily, I must have quite the imagination, I told myself, for the turtles only lived in New York City, and one could not find such a large open place, as that field had been, where we had been picking the sweet fruits. It looked far more like what one would find on a farm.

Then again even the Foot were aware that the turtles would disappear from time to time for certain periods, they would seem to disappear off the face of the Earth for weeks or moths, and the Foot would search to find nothing. Then it was assumed the turtles had either died or moved away living the city to us. It wasn't to be though, for the turtles always returned.

Perhaps this field was in farm country a place where the turtles could recover from injuries or relax for a time, perhaps it was a type of home away from home, but their call to duty, to honour meant that they returned to battle us and keep us from achieving our goals.

Before I could puzzle it out though there was another image that came over me.

" Rama come see what I have for you?" Sang out Mike's voice.

I was only a toddler but I went running to him catching sight of him and the things he held in his hands, they were so brightly coloured they caught my eye.

"Preey" I squealed.

" These are flowers Rama. Here smell this red one" Mike offered a red flower.

I inhaled and the smell was intoxicating fragrant and rich, the petals felt so soft and fine under my fingers.

" It is a rose Rama. This white one is a daisy."

" Where git floer daddy? Where find rose?" I demanded.

" Topside Rama flowers need sun and rain to grow. But you can't go topside it isn't safe for you." He grinned a bit, " Every once in a while though I can bring a bit of topside to you." He vowed.

Topside was a word that I heard often, even then, topside I knew was where people lived, it was where food came from and when Dad and my uncles wanted to go topside during the day they always put on long coats and pulled on a hat.

Another image came almost instantly this one showed a dark room.

I was sitting huddled on the floor wounds covered my arms and legs. I felt so hungry and so thirsty. I was crying.

" Daddy, Karena? Help me please I want to go home" I sniffed wiping my beak with the backside of an arm " I'll be a good girl daddy. I won't break topside rule to see Jessie no more. I promise daddy I be good" I sobbed even harder " Just get me away from bad ninja."

The image faded under the assault of my head's brutal pounding, which had intensified since I'd come in to my room.

Topside rule, what sort of ridiculousness was that? I scoffed to myself. It made no sense but some part buried deep inside me seemed to know what it was for it replied almost instantly.

No going topside.

But Jessie had been topside.

Great, I thought, so who is Jessie?

Then it dawned on me that I knew exactly who Jessie was, it had been one of the images I had gotten the other day, the one with me in the hooded sweatshirt playing with the boy.

I pushed and probed at my mind seeking more information and was surprised at how easy it seemed to come to me.

Jessie had been my friend, he couldn't talk properly and the two of us would get together to play almost every day. I had trouble moving the manhole cover up but because it was so heavy I never placed it back down securely, that way I could return home when our visit was over. Lifting the lid up wasn't as bad as trying to pick a manhole up off the hole itself.

My head throbbed quickly and I stopped closing my eyes and sighing heavily as I relaxed into my pillow unwilling to do any more digging at the moment.

The ninja that had come that day must have captured me and sold me to the lab where father had found me.

But something about that theory just didn't make sense to me, I had a feeling that was how I had ended up in the lab but I had a hunch that something wasn't quite true. I mean why would ninja sell me to a research lab?

_Maybe because you were the ninjas enemies and they felt it would get rid of you._ A voice whispered from somewhere in my tortured brain.

I supposed that was possible, far more believable at the very least and it gave credence to all the other images of me being part of the turtle's family.

Except the building silhouettes in the first image I had of Jessie was of New York City and the only Ninja clan that I knew, even operated in New York was the Foot Clan and father had been the leader for years, far longer then I had been alive.

Father would not sell me to a lab just to free me from it at a later date, so these images **just** had to be false.

The voice from in my brain whispered back, at least it was considerate enough to whisper. _You are so sure are you? All that depth, the feeling it brings up, all of that is false. Just because you believe your father hasn't lied to you._

Father has no reason to lie to me. I defended quickly.

_True, unless he didn't want you knowing who you truly are._

I snorted, so **what?** What if, I had been, at some point in my life a part of the turtle's family? Lets say, for the sake of argument, that these images that kept coming were true and I was Michaelangelo's daughter.

The turtle's hadn't come for me, they had left me in the lab to rot, to be tortured or killed. They didn't care enough to try and get me back they just preserved their own hides. They had given up on **me** first. Now they expected the fact that I had once been one of them to buy my loyalty.

If father had been capable of finding me, then surely my family could have, **if** they had really wanted to.

Obviously I didn't matter to them.

If they cared so little for me, why should I feel anything for them?

Now that is a very good question, but considering the fact it was Foot Soldiers who took you from the rooftop wouldn't the man you call father, have a far better idea where to find you?

I slammed my fists down onto my bed in a sudden burst of rage and frustration, for I was right back at square one again.

It didn't make sense for father to lie about my beginnings. The feelings, no matter what feelings these images brought up, just couldn't be true.

Again the voice whispered, _Unless your father is lying to you._

For what reason, to what point, or advantage would the lie give him?

_He didn't want you to know you had a family out there. You know what he is like. Remember in the prison hold the other day, the look your father gave to Michaelangelo when he said the words ' I wouldn't let a child of **mine** fall into enemy hands._

I recalled father's look and tone it had been as if he was mocking the turtle, and Michaelangelo had taken the bait.

I shook my head in denial. No, **No, NO!** It couldn't be true and yet somehow it seemed possible. My father had no reason to lie to me, I told myself firmly but that didn't still the voice or stop the doubt from trying to creep in.

Your father does know the truth. He just prefers to keep it well hidden from you. He wants you to hurt them. You know that it is true. It is just you rather go on believing what ever Yukio told you to believe.

You are wrong!

"The turtles are not my family, I was found in a lab and father found me and…" I insisted repeating what I knew to be true of my past, like some mantra used for seeking peace or enlightenment during meditation.

_That's it keep repeating those lies to yourself, maybe one day you will fully accept them as the truth._ The inner voice mocked me.

" It is true. I know it is" I almost yelled those words into the silence of my bedroom.

_You are a powerful Kunoichi trained for espionage, why not use those skills and search your father's private rooms for any proof of your past. He must have something hidden about who you truly are._ The voice urged.

The very thought caused me to tremble in fear, it was an insane desperate notion.

" You know what father would do to me. If he caught me going through his personal stuff I'd have the worst lesson of my life. He might even kill me, there are faster ways of committing seppuku." I moaned, " I can't! I won't!"

Well there are two types of trouble in this world Ramiela, the type you get caught at and the type that you don't. So just make sure that you don't get caught.

Those words sounded very familiar to me, as if I had heard them at some point in my life before. I also found it rather odd to know my inner voice called me by the name Ramiela not Kirra.

I shook my head, I just couldn't do that to father. There was no way I would betray him like that, not after all he had done for me against a few faulty memories. It just wasn't worth it.

Then get one of the turtles to confirm. Michaelangelo… 

" Is a liar and can't be trusted!" I snapped sharply.

_Look either your father or Mike is lying. They both can't be telling the truth. He mentioned your cat Baka before you had the memory of the cat. Maybe you need to question him about things you have seen to see if he can confirm any of it._ The voice suggested, _Since it is obvious you are too scared to go against your father, the least you can do is search for proof through Mike._

There was no need to betray father or to doubt him for that matter, so I wasn't about to search his person effects for proof. However torturing Mike might just be the way to find out the answers I wanted and be sure that he told me the truth of the matter.

I hadn't tortured him since yesterday and I wasn't getting any rest. I decided as if that settled that matter.

My inner voice was silent, having no more to contribute, though my head still ached tremendously.

I had to find out about these images once and for all so I could finally lay them to rest and ease the persistent nagging.

Learning the truth about my past was suddenly of utmost importance to me, and I knew I had the means to find out now, while the turtles lived, after all once they were dead I might never know who I really was and I knew now that I needed to know if I was to ever find true harmony and balance.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: Oh yes, a great deal of both memory triggers and confusion for poor Rama/Kirra. As I told you in a seperate e-mail i did purposely use some scenes from early Rama stories for readers to connect to. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: Those memories can be either a good thing or a bad thing and only a few more chapters may verify, which way it is going to be. Hope you enjoyed your trip and it is good to have you back. A gratitude for your insight.


	18. chapter Seventeen: Seeking Information

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Seventeen – Seeking information.**

**Michaelangelo:**

I was trying to not think about the fact that none of us were doing all that well. I mean we would never have won a beauty contest before hand but with our recent haggard, bruised and battered looks we were a very pathetic sight. I could see how Raph looked and I knew I felt as bad if not worse then he looked.

We had been given small bits of food rather sporadically over our capture time, enough to keep us alive but not enough to give much energy or fill the hollow gap. It was just enough food to allow them to torture us longer and to tease us with.

Still we took what little was offered and didn't worry about there being poison in it, for the simple fact we knew Yukio would want us to suffer a long time, and any poison that took that long of a time for us to die from, would also warn us it was in our system and we could counter act it easily using ninja skills.

Water was often obtained from the hose when the guards sprayed out our cell of the little refuse or what have you. But the guards often loved to hit us with a hard spray so that snatching water was difficult at best.

Even though I had decided to side with my daughter and help her where I could, I still felt loyalty to my own family and to the hierarchy of our clan. I really had no interest in endangering them while I tried to get through to my daughter.

I knew Yukio's threat of killing Karena or one of the twins when or if we tried to turn _his_ daughter. Yet the fact of the matter was Yukio wasn't going to let them live either.

Even Leo had to know that was true.

Yes Yukio would probably kill one of them if he got wind of anything, but even if he didn't, what was to stop him from coming down and killing them for the sake of doing so just to shake us up?

No, in the end Karena and the twins would be killed, they would suffer the same fate we would. It was only a matter of time.

Suddenly Rama came in and I knew instantly she was here for me, that she had a bad day, or maybe a good day, and nothing could finish it better then torturing me.

" Leave Mike alone" Raph snarled at her, " If you can't play nice with your toys you won't be allowed to play with them at all."

I almost laughed, as I suddenly realized that had been one of Rama's rules as a child, she was not to deliberately destroy or wreck any of her toys.

" I don't have to listen to **you**" she hissed, " He is mine to do with as I please." Was her quick retort.

" Haven't you done enough to Mike?" Leo demanded.

" When he is dead I will have done enough" She replied grimly.

I gazed up at her from my sitting position on the floor, she looked tired, as if she hadn't been sleeping well, she had a bit of a haunted look in her eyes and I could feel that her mind was in turmoil confused, scattered.

My heart ached seeing her like this, only a few days before she had seemed so confident but that was slipping out from under her, evaporating, eroding, causing a deterioration that was inescapable as the shackles that bound us.

Still she seemed able to perform her natural moves and was still cautious enough to make sure there was no way I could gain the upper hand while she unshackled the cell chains and forced me to my feet binding me up again for our trip to one of the practice rooms, or torture chambers with in the Foot headquarters.

Once in one of the practice rooms she knocked me to the floor and secured my feet tying rope from one hand to bits of rope around my ankle but for some reason she left one hand free.

I noticed, from where I was lying on the mats, a cupboard of sorts in one corner of the room and once Rama was assured that I was secured and not about to go anywhere she walked over to it and took an item from within, she turned to face me then an evil smile on her face as she displayed the weapon she just picked.

It was a relative of my own nunchuks only it had a second chain and a third handle, it was called the sa tjat koen. It was an effective tool for entangling feet or arms, due to the extra length it was useful for choking victims with. However for quick sudden strikes in battle the chuks had the sa tjat koen beat, also chuks were far better as a paired weapon then this weapon happened to be.

This girl had a great deal of irony in her. She seemed to have a thing for besting us by using our preferred weapons against us, I recalled how she had helped beat both Raph and Leo when she had infiltrated our home.

Alright I had an idea what she now planned to do with me, she would use the sa tjat koen on my free wrist, and I knew it was going be mighty painful, hell she could break my wrist in a few places with ease with that weapon to apply the pressure.

I took a deep breath preparing myself mentally for what I knew just had to come, and meanwhile my mind tried to come up with some possibility of how, I could, maybe get through to her.

Rama walked behind me dropping to one knee the other leg propped up so she could push off on her foot that was flat on the floor if necessary, as she wrapped the sa tjat koen around my wrist.

" So you want to tell me things like before perhaps? Do you have more stories to tell me, like the ones of Baka and Splinter?" she inquired her voice thick with scorn.

" Ain't you a little old for bedtime stories Rama?" I demanded.

She twisted the handles of the weapon applying direct pressure to my wrist. I gritted my teeth sucking in air as I did so. I was sure she was going to break my wrist but the pressure eased ever so slightly.

" Rama what kind of foolish name is that supposed to be?" She shot out.

Since she had asked I decided to tell her " Your name is Ramiela. I used parts of Raph's name and mine to come up with your name," I explained, yet I fully expected some sort of quick reprimand from her.

The pressure on my wrist eased again. I was somewhat puzzled by that because it didn't make sense but I opted to keep talking just to see what would happen " You were born April fifteenth. Raph was your favourite Uncle and Leo was your Sensei."

Still no added pressure on my wrist from the weapon wrapped around it, I could almost sense her listening, almost expectantly, for more.

Did Rama really want to hear about who she was? Was she by chance willing to listen now? Was she finally coming around?

If that truly was what she wanted right now, then I was quite willing to provide the information she was seeking but I had one fear, that clouded my willingness to comply, what if Rama was to later tell Yukio of what I had told her?

" You picked up things very quickly, in fact some of the things you learned you did so through observation. Like how you managed to steal Raph's sais from him on a regular basis by using ninja stealth." I told her.

I had decided to gamble that she wouldn't tell Yukio about this. I took a deep breath before I continued hoping silently that I was doing the right thing.

" You loved words when you were little, always wanted to know what new words meant and trying to say these really big words. You had a very good memory and **lots **of energy."

A quick jabbing pain that travelled from my wrist up to my arm suddenly silenced me and I had to wonder if I had been mistaken about her intentions, or perhaps I had said too much. A bad habit of mine saying far more then was necessary, sometimes I just didn't know when to shut up.

" You think I am related to you?" She asked.

" I know you are Rama. I have pictures of you at home, all kinds of them from the time you were born to the time you disappeared," I admitted, " I was there when Don delivered you and he later did a blood test that confirmed you **were,** my daughter."

" Right" she snorted in disbelief, " Then how did I ever end up in this lab?"

I scowled, " A lab I don't know about any lab" I protested, " You went out for a walk one day shortly before your seventh birthday and you never returned. We searched every where, almost literally, left no stone unturned. We found nothing" I insisted.

" Who is Jessie?" Rama snapped.

" I don't know I never heard of any Jessie." I knew she was after something seeking information of some sort but I had a feeling she didn't care for my answers, if anything she seemed to be growing angrier.

" If I was your child what did I like or dislike?" She demanded sharply.

" Like your favourite colour was aqua or yellow, food pancakes, loved root beer to drink" I replied, " As for favourite toys and games that changed with your age but you always enjoyed going out to the farm, playing sports and you loved animals of all kinds, even imaginary ones" I smiled a bit as I recalled how interested Rama had been in horses, dragons, unicorns and that sort of thing.

I just kept hoping that it wouldn't come back and bite me later.

" You liked ninja weapons, singing and joking around." I sighed wishing for her to be more like that again. " As for dislikes you hated being punished, didn't like broccoli or brussel sprouts." I rolled my eyes, " You hated a good number of your rules and thought Don's school lessons were **boring**. You hated the colour grey and absolutely loathed spiders and needles." I concluded.

" I suppose you even had a special father/daughter time together?" She mocked, " Or perhaps a favourite saying."

" Matter of fact we **did.**" I agreed, " usually when I tucked you into your bed at night time we would talk for awhile before you went to sleep." I smiled and felt a few tears at the bitter sweet memory of those times. " I used to tell you that I was going chuck you out of your shell when you got into trouble, course I was only joking about that. I also told you how much I loved you."

" Yeah, right. **You** forgot all about me!" She accused as she twisted the weapon

I gritted my teeth waiting for the pressure she was applying to give off the sickening sound of bones breaking.

" If father could find me in the lab. How come you didn't?" She raged at me, " You didn't want me did you? Now that your life is on the line you have changed your mind!"

"**No** Rama **I** have never forgotten you, or given up on you. I couldn't even accept in my heart that you were dead" I confessed, " I continued to look for you long after the others gave up hope and said there was just no way."

" **Liar!"** she roared at me.

Suddenly one end of the sa tjat koen rapped me across my mouth good and hard. I hadn't even felt it unwrap from around my wrist, but I could taste the coppery unmistakable texture of blood in my mouth.

" You are never going keep your big mouth shut are you!" She hissed in fury.

I felt the weapon wrap around my throat, too late for me to protect the area by ducking down a bit into my shell. I could only brace myself knowing in the state she was in at this moment she could possibly kill me. I felt the pressure ease up as I was close to blacking out.

I fought for air as she set about releasing me.

It seemed our session was now over.

My wrist was throbbing, my mouth hurt and I was fighting for air as she lead me back to the prison cell. I could sense my brothers concern for me, as they all looked my way.

I was ninja, I could handle a little torture, as Leo well knew, but I knew he was concerned not just for me, but also for Karena and the twins. He might be afraid at what I may have said that might endanger their lives.

I looked at the guards as Rama left and I knew for a fact that if I said Rama they would tell Yukio about it.

_I didn't say anything to jeopardize them Leo,_ I told him, all right so I may have stretched the truth a little with that statement, by way of mental communication, though I found that short message to be exhausting.

I could only hope that something I had said may help Rama find the answers she was looking for, and I prayed that she wouldn't betray me to Yukio.

TBC

Lunar Ninja: Yes, I am afraid a little more Mikey torture. Poor Rama/Kirra just can't seem to help herself when it comes to that. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Yes her memory is getting stronger. Gaps are quickly filling in and as you can tell Mike tried to be very careful while doing what he could to protect his family and help Rama along as well. A gratitude for your insight.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Returning Home

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Eighteen - Returning Home**

**Kirra:**

I gave up on the interrogation with Mike, if it was too hard to know if he was lying or telling the truth. I was confused and mixed up enough as it was, even with him saying a few things that I could relate to such as chucking me out of my shell.

What was true though?

This is what I didn't know and what I desperately needed to know.

I recalled Michaelangelo saying he had pictures of me as a child. That was funny, because as far as I knew my own father didn't have any pictures of me. Still Michaelangelo's story ought to be easy enough to confirm one way or another.

All I had to do was to go to the turtle's home and search, if I meant something to him then I ought to be able to find the proof of the matter. If I couldn't find any pictures, or anything else to back up the turtle's words then it must mean that he was lying.

There was one thing I had to do before returning to the turtle's sewer home. I was anxious to get started for I could maybe solve the mystery and lay matters to rest. After all once I knew the truth I could come back home and get some much needed rest.

…

Not even an hour later I entered the turtle's home the smell of blood and the early bit of decay were enough to cause my muzzle to wrinkle with disgust, our own dead had been removed, but the dead members of the turtle clan lay where they had fallen.

I noticed the woman and her child, that had been in the living room area, when we had first invaded I ignored them for now and followed the smell to the playground area where most of the dead were. I checked the area and nodded pleased with what I found.

I then returned to the woman's and child's corpses, what had Raph called them again? Sara and Kei or something like that I think? Ah well, it didn't really matter. I moved their corpses in with the others then set up a bomb near the entrance of the playground.

This bomb was one of my specialties, home made of course, and designed to bring down a certain area of the playground to make an effective mass burial, but not cause too much structural damage above, so those topside would not be alerted to any problems.

Once I was sure the bomb had done its job and I was safe, I searched the living room, kitchen and dojo area for candles and incense to light, and rid the lingering offensive odour from the home.

There was something eerie about being in the turtles home, I had the oddest feeling that I was being watched and followed around, that perhaps there was some form of guardian spirit that dwelt here and didn't want me around.

I reached out with my senses trying to pick up on what it might be, but I detected nothing out of the ordinary.

Suddenly something hit into my shoulders hard, I acted quickly reaching up and grabbing hold of whatever was there, and felt a solid mass of fur, it felt much too large to be a sewer rat.

I tossed the thing from me toward the ground and saw a black blur twist about to land on four feet.

It was nothing more then a black cat with a crooked tail it gave me a rather offended look.

" Mrrrow!" It complained loudly.

" Baka?" I asked uncertainly, as I stooped down with fingers outstretched towards the cat.

The animal came towards me bunting and rubbing his head against my hand as it started to purr. The deep rumble increased in tempo as I scooped the feline into my arms to cuddle it closer.

" A Baka without a purr is a terrible thing" I murmured knowing I had heard that phrase before in my life at sometime, though I wasn't sure when, " Are you hungry Baka?"

I returned to where the kitchen was and set about searching the cupboards for food that might appeal to the cat.

I knew my father would never allow me to keep the cat at Foot headquarters, but I also knew that this cat belonged to me at one time, it had been my pet for many years.

I set out a large dish of dry food and an equally large bowl of water, a small thing of milk and a can of tuna. After all I had no idea when I would next be able to return, and I wanted to make sure that Baka would have the food he needed, if not the companionship he was used to.

The cat dived into the tuna taking large bites and gulping it down. I smiled at him before turning back to my search of the lair.

I had found the bedrooms but so far had found nothing that looked like it was Mike's personal room, I was almost ready to give up when I entered a room that had but a single bed and no toys with in, most of the rooms had double beds for the adults or bunk beds with toys meaning children's rooms.

This room was a simple affair the cement walls of the pipe painted in a bright sky blue, there was a nightstand and a four drawer dresser.

The turtles didn't wear much for clothes, so I found the dresser rather out of place. Naturally it was the first place that I began to look, to see if I could confirm what I had been told earlier.

In the top drawer was a photo album, the cover had black marker written on the front declaring it simply as Rama and at age six.

The first two drawers of the dresser held photo albums with marker on the front giving the name and the time frame the pictures had been taken. I packed a couple of the photo albums over to the bed and sat down to look over it.

Inside were Polaroid pictures of a tiny turtle humanoid child with dark hair, each picture held a date and a year sometimes there was a little note under the picture that gave a bit more description or information, regarding the photographs.

There was a picture of a woman that was labelled simply Shay. The name Shay meant nothing to me.

I saw pictures of the child standing in front of a farm house, hands outstretched palms up red berry juice staining the hands and face, testament to how many berriesshe must have filled herself with. Pictures of birthdays, Christmases, pictures of a young turtle holding baby turtle humanoids, and ones of ninja lessons in a crude sewer dojo with Leonardo at the child's side, or Raphael playing with the youth; many of the photos I could easily match to the visions and images that had been bothering me recently.

I put the albums away where I had found them and as I did so I noticed a small book marked as Rama's baby book.

I flipped through the pages seeing first time to crawl three days old, first words daddy, first walked and all of it filled out in neat handwriting.

There was a place in the book listed for identification and that held ten tiny fingerprints but also photographs of a carapace the upper shell design and colours clearly and carefully depicted along with a written description of it.

I knew my own carapace design, I also was fully aware that no other turtle ought to have the markings that I had, and yet those markings, Rama's carapace design were a twin to my own.

I had to be. I was almost certain now what was true, though it seemed so hard to believe or accept.

I checked the last two drawers of the dresser and was surprised to see bits of artwork marked daddy, or cards made with lots of glitter, bright colours and glue. It looked to me, as if Michaelangelo had saved every item his daughter had ever made.

Someone who could not even let go of the smallest scrap of paper with scrawly writing, would not give up on a child. I was sure of that much. He had never given up on Rama.

I felt tears suddenly filling my eyes and trickling down my cheeks.

There was no need to deny it any longer I was Rama. I was Michaelangelo's long lost daughter, I once had been a part of the turtle's family. Somehow at some time I had been separated from them and ended up in a lab where my father had found me, freed me and started training me, for his revenge against the turtle clan calling me Kirra.

Father couldn't possibly have known that I was his enemy, if he had known he would have killed me for sure.

Why hadn't Michaelangelo and the others found me back then?

I owed so much to my father now, that I couldn't turn against him, even with the recent knowledge I had just gained.

How would life have been different for me if I had been raised by my true family?

I would still be a kunoichi, and well trained but I would have grown up in a family that had loved me.

I collapsed on the bed sobbing as I realized the depth of the truth in recent events. Baka came strolling in and jumped on the bed bunting my arm and making tiny noises of concern. I reached out and pulled the cat into my arms cuddling him close stroking his fur as I cried myself out.

When it was over, and I had regained some sort of control all I could do was sigh miserably, what did it matter now?

I couldn't change the past. Nor could anyone else, and in the end I had to play the hand I now held. I knew for a fact that the turtle family would **never** accept me into their clan now.

I had helped kill their family, my unknown cousins and aunts were dead, in part because of me, I had taken the others captive and had tortured and beaten them, enjoyed doing it too. I had threatened to kill Karena and Kaliann.

The weight of these crimes weighed heavily onto my shoulders in that moment and I trembled, finding my insides tying them selves into large knots. I knew I had gone too far, there was just no way that I would ever be accepted as part of their family again. Those ties had been severed once and for all.

_What have I **done?** Better yet, what am I supposed to do **now?**_ I asked myself.

The turtle clan must know, as I did, that I was no longer a part of them and that they would be after me for the betrayal of their family. It was far too late for that now, if I went to help them they probably wouldn't accept it, and it wouldn't cleanse me of the crime I had committed against them. I would throw everything away.

If I helped them I would be banned from their clan and considered a lone ninja with no honour. My father and the Foot would also be after my blood, for betraying the clan I was meant to serve. I would be a ninja with no honour. So I would be hunted by two clans not one, and survival would be next to impossible.

I scratched Baka with one hand and took a couple of deep calming breaths, and sniffed a few times dejectedly.

I realized, that, it was far better to stay a member of the Foot Clan. I had a future with them, I would be leader one day and it really wasn't worth incurring father's wrath to gain me nothing, in the end, anyways.

Helping the turtles would get me nowhere.

_' You must put your past behind you and move on with your life now,'_ I told myself, _' Besides in the end you know you owe your father and the Foot Clan far more then the turtles.'_

I got up and Baka followed after me, I picked the cat up cuddling him close " You can't come with me Baka, my father won't allow it, and I don't want you getting hurt too. I will come back when I can to care for you." I vowed.

Baka was the only part of my past that I wanted or needed to hold to.

I had to accept the fact of what I once was, but it didn't really change who I was now.

TBC

**Lunar Ninja:** Yes Mike torture, what else is poor Rama/Kirra supposed to do for entertainment? She just can't help herself it is the way Yukio has taught her. I promise nothing about Yukio dying in his sleep what will be will be. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Kirra does have ways of making people talk whether they want to or not. Right now Kirra has a great deal to think about so betraying Mike is probably the furthest thing from her mind, good thing for the turtle family that she is so preoccupied. A gratitude for your insight.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Revelation

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Nineteen -Revelation**

**Kirra:**

I didn't get much sleep, even after I returned home in the wee hours of the morning. Too many questions kept coming to me, and I still didn't seem to know or have the right answers in spite of what I had learned, to sleep with all that going on in my mind.

The images I knew now could only be the memories of my childhood, the time before I had somehow ended up in a lab where Father had found me.

No wonder the Masters of the ryu I was trained in, thought that I was born to be a ninja, as I seemed capable of doing so much for one who had no proper training in the art.

The Masters didn't know and neither did I, that I had been trained. I had even lived among ninja, so it only proved I wasn't as gifted as everyone had assumed me to be at that particular time.

In all my memories though there was not a single memory of the lab, or the scientist who worked there. Why was that? I wondered.

If I could remember things from before the lab and after. Why not the lab itself?

It didn't make sense there had to be a lab.

_' There was no lab.'_ The quiet inner voice whispered.

I shook my head in denial.

No there had to be a lab. Father had found me in a lab, he saved me from that place. At that time he couldn't have known or guessed that I was actually a member of the clan he despised.

_' I told you before **he** knew it all along. He knows who and what you are. He knows it better then you do and yet still you cling to his **lies.'**_

I sighed this was getting so confusing.

Those I once called family were my enemies.

I hadn't seen them for years or even knew anything about them, had forgotten them except for the occasional memory that haunted me. They had at one point loved me, and judging from what my memories had revealed to me, I had once loved them.

Things changed and now, I knew in my heart that there was no way to go back and make right the wrongs that lay between us. I knew they would never have me as a part of their family.

Yet how could I treat them like enemies, knowing what I knew about them now?

Before it had been different. Before I didn't know that I was one of **them.**

When they died shouldn't I have to die too?

After all the Foot clan's agenda was to obliterate the turtle clan.

But I wasn't one of them, after all. I was loyal to father. I had been his adopted daughter and his bodyguard for so many years now. I had been a member of the turtle clan for what? Six years, that wasn't even half of my life.

I had been with father far longer and I owed him more. The Foot clan was my clan. My father was my leader and Master and I could never, would never betray him.

But if father knew that I was one of them, would he start to change his mind, would he start to doubt me? Now that I knew the truth would I be able to do my duty to father and the clan the way I was supposed to?

_' What is it going to take for you to see there was _**no**_ lab!'_

There was a lab father wouldn't lie!

_' Oh yes he would. You want to see the lab? You have seen it before but I will show you now. This is your lab'_ The stern almost angry voice faded.

It was replaced by an image of a dark room with a dim light hanging over head.

A child I knew had to be me, huddled in the light her legs drawn up to her plastron, arms wrapped about her legs, her head up and eyes shifting warily watching the shadows that surrounded her.

She knew that every once in a while a black garbed figure would come and say things, things she knew were lies, the black garbed one would often bring food or drink. Then there were times that the shadows seemed to come alive, and hurt her. Deep painful wounds on arms and legs spoke of how often the shadows caused her pain.

So she was a little afraid of the shadows not quite sure what they would offer or when.

There was fresh bleeding marks on her as she sat crying tears streaming down her face as she whimpered, longing for her daddy or Karena to come save her.

" I am your father Kirra" came a cold voice that sounded slightly changed different, like I had heard it before but it was disguised some how.

" You are not. My daddy Mikeyangelo. I Ramiela not Kirra." The child yelled in fury " You lies to me."

A chain lashed out hitting the arms and legs, breaking open barely healed wounds and causing fresh wounds to open, as the child screamed in pain and tried to huddle up in her shell to protect herself from the lash.

I longed to go in to draw that child to me, protect her from the demon that was after her but I couldn't for the image faded.

A new image of the same dark room came to me.

The child lay prone, her small, limp beaten form lay in a fetal position on the floor. A look of complete and utter despair in her eyes. She was skinny and so badly wounded, it seemed that scars were on top of scars. I doubted that there was much life in her.

" Who are you?" came that same cold chilling voice from the shadows.

" Ra- Kirra. I'm Kirra." The child whispered in a soft hollow sounding tone. She had given up and had accepted the name.

" Who am I?" the voice sounded like it was close to gloating now.

" Your da…" She stopped, a look of fear crossing her face, as if she knew what to expect if she said the word daddy. She flinched cringing slightly as if expecting a blow to come as she hastened to reply, " You're my father."

The ninja stepped forward and I saw his face, and I knew for the child I had been that it was the first time seeing his face since brought into that dark room.

" Good girl Kirra you have finally learned your lesson" he kneeled beside me.

The child crawled into his arms and onto his lap with no fear burying her face in his shirt.

He held me close comforting me with gentle touches while rubbing an ointment on the wounds that helped ease the pain.

He seemed gentle then and I clung to him afraid of the shadows willing to take whatever kindness he'd give me. I was just grateful to not be alone with the shadows that came alive to hurt.

" Yes Kirra my child, my daughter. This lab is a terrible place but my child, if you come with me I will take you to a place where you will learn to be strong and powerful. You will become one with the shadows so you don't have to fear them" he murmured " You will become a powerful kunoichi for me and you will help me destroy my enemies. Won't you Kirra?"

" Yes father. I will don't hurt me" I pleaded.

" I won't hurt you Kirra. I have never hurt you before, and as long as you **_obey me_** you will not have to fear anything again." He assured me

" I be good I promise father. I be good kunoichi for you."

" That is right Kirra. You will be the best. I insist upon it."

No, No, **No!** I denied the last image pushing it from me, " Its not true. It can't be. I know it can't" I felt physically sick and I was sweating hard as if I had just worked out hard.

' _Face it he knew it all along_. _What makes you think he would kill those he has hated all these years but allow you to live_? _You are his enemy and now he has made you their enemy_.'

Father knows my loyalties. I won't go against him.

_' Only because he has you too well trained. You are so afraid to do the least little thing to defy him, because he knows what lessons he gave when you tried to defy him before.'_ The tone had a smirk to it, I was almost certain of that fact._ ' Also he made certain you were there to see others disciplined for their crimes, sometimes you were the one to carry out the sentence. He has you so well trained you wouldn't breathe if he told you to stop!'_

Why would father do it though? Why when I had been everything that he wanted me to be? When I had spent my whole life living up to what he wanted, and doing things the way he wanted?

No father couldn't have known that I was a member of the turtle clan, there was just no way I could accept that on top of everything else.

_' You fool, the only thing I am sure of is that you are not sure of any thing!'_ the voice scolded sharply, _' All the proof you need must be hidden in his office or in his private room. You have proven that Michaelangelo speaks truth.'_ The voice paused, _' What of your father's record, there was no lab only a place where he tortured a little girl into almost forgetting the people she once called family. That is who you are loyal to. He is the one who lies!'_

I clamped my hands over the side of my head, in hopes of blocking that hard cynical voice from intruding any further, but it was an internal voice to begin with and it continued.

_'Go prove it to yourself that your father isn't as honest as your so called enemy!_'

No I won't do this. I can't do this. Forget it, just forget all about it. I'll do whatever father asks of me.

Father has no need to hurt me. I'm going be leader of the Foot after all.

' _If you don't do this it could mean your very life. Do you want to be faithful to find out it has only earned you your death_?'

I huddled into a ball on my bed sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't know what to do, or what I should do. I didn't know if I dared to defy my father to learn the truth or not.

I couldn't recall ever feeling so helpless, so useless or so unsure of myself since I had been a child.

If this madness continued I knew I wouldn't be able to function in any of my duties to the Foot Clan. I had to find a way to stop this for I felt like I was falling apart from the inside out. I hadn't had a decent night sleep since before the turtle's had been captured, and I think the lack of sleep combined with recent revelations was starting to wear on me in more ways then one.

I sighed as I dried my tears and went to splash cold water on my face. I had to go to report to father soon or I would get into trouble for failing to do so. I also knew it wouldn't be wise to let father know that these memories were coming back.

For some reason I felt that him knowing about me gaining knowledge of some, if not all, of my past might cause trouble for me later on.

I did a quick meditation to try and get my mind in order and to block off what I needed to do before heading to father's office.

As soon as I caught sight of father behind his desk it caused me to feel almost instantly, frightened and nauseous. A strong intense surge of revulsion rose up out of nowhere and I shuddered slightly as I tried to regain composure.

" Kirra good I …" father began but he stopped and narrowed his eyes scrutinizing me " Is something wrong you look ill?"

" I'm not feeling too good. But I don't think it is anything to worry about" I murmured.

" True, you don't fall ill that often, but in a few more days I will need you in peak form Kirra." Father admitted.

" The execution of our enemies draws near then?" I essayed.

Father gave a sharp nod of his head " Exactly I just have a few more lessons I need to give and then it will be time. You will finally receive the reward I have promised you these many years, for all your dedication and assistance." Father smiled, " Your service has always been appreciated and a great asset to me Kirra."

" It wasn't much. You provided the training I needed" I demurred.

" You have helped rid me of some difficult enemies over the years Kirra, destroyed many would be assassins within the clan itself. Though the turtles are still the worst of all of them" He sneered slightly, then shook his head " Why not take it easy for today Kirra? I want you in top form when the time comes."

I tried to keep from groaning, if I wasn't kept busy there would be more chance for that pesky bothersome voice to badger me. Never mind what all the memories would do to me. I'd sooner keep myself busy in hopes of keeping all of that at bay.

" I can manage," I protested weakly.

" For today perhaps you will but you could end up making matters worse. If you rest today Kirra then you will be better. You deserve a day to take it easy and I expect you to do just **that!**" father insisted.

His tone said he had made up his mind and I best not defy him.

I nodded agreement knowing there was little else that I could do.

" There is a bit of reading I've been meaning to catch up on," I admitted.

" Then it is settled. Dismissed Kirra." Father replied turning back to his work on the desk as I left the office, to head back to my room.

On the way I noticed one of the Elite coming up the stairwell and I moved as if to head down the stairs as was my usual habit, the Soldier hardly acknowledged me as he strolled past and headed towards father's office.

What would father be calling the Elite for?

He usually only used them for special missions, of course with the execution only mere days away now, it might be natural for the Elite to be prepared and ready.

Still something seemed strange, almost out of place. Perhaps it was only my highly confused mind turning normal every day occurrences into something suspicious.

I went back up the stairs once I was sure I had given more then enough time and entered stealth mode went towards father's office.

I saw the door ahead was not fully secured and smiled at my luck. I heard the low murmur of voices speaking in Japanese before they switched to the English language.

" How much longer before we are done with the freaks?" the tone was sharp and demanding.

Father did allow the Elite certain liberties now and again but it would not be wise for any of them to overstep that privilege either.

" Patience Kuma, it is necessary to wait a bit longer," Father explained.

" You are still planning on doing it then?" Kuma asked, " It is a waste you know that. A ninja of such skill could still be of use to us."

" Skills yes but there are plenty who have that Kuma. Talented though the ninja might be there is still certain mental problems that are starting to crop up that would be difficult to handle later on." Father replied, " Besides the ninja would have served the purpose that the ninja was trained for. The mind can deteriorate quickly Kuma." Father paused sighing with relief, " When all of this is over Kuma you can end this cloak of deception that you have worn for me for so long. Once again you will be recognized as **my **son."

I had to guard myself at the sudden shock of those words as I slipped away quickly to avoid either of them to sense my presence. It would not do for me to be caught spying on Father.

His son. Father had a son?

He had never told me **that!** He had always made me believe that I was his only child.

Kuma his son?

True, Kuma was one of the best among all the Elite and he kept his face covered due to what he claimed was some form of disfigurement, but perhaps it was due to him wanting to hide his facial features that he may have inherited from father.

Kuma had been kept more or less safe while I dealt with the assassins and any one else who targeted father or I for assassination.

If Kuma was his son why would he place me as second in command?

I knew father, being the traditionalist that he was, would allow his son to be the second in command. After all in Japan boys were worth more then girls and Kuma was his own flesh and blood while I, was merely adopted.

Father must have had Kuma secreted from the very first, for I knew Kuma was only about six years older then I. While all along father had me believing that I was his heir, protecting Kuma while I also protected father, for those out to kill father would also seek to kill his heir.

But father had never mentioned Kuma as his son before, how could it be?

_" One of your father's many secrets, Ramiela. He kept that from you, just as he kept who your true family was from you.'_

Father told me things! I insisted.

_'Only because he is sure that you won't betray him. Besides you can almost bet what you know Kuma will also know. In fact Kuma probably knows far more then you._'

What do you mean?

' _You are the ninja they were speaking of Ramiela_.'

" It could be **any **ninja," I denied.

_'Come on you said it yourself._ _You have to know that Kuma is the true future leader of the Foot Clan_. _So where will you fit in? It is past time to learn the full truth_.'

He'll kill me!

' _He is going to do that anyways_.' The voice retorted.

It is dangerous, far too risky, I protested, I can't do it not with father and Kuma.

' _I wouldn't worry about Kuma. He seems to want you alive as he thinks you may be useful to the Foot Clan. It is Yukio you have to beware of. And would you rather let them kill you without putting up a fight?'_

I rushed to the washroom knowing my nausea was about to take over.

Moments later I was on my knees shaking as I violently spewed what few things I had in my stomach out. I stood on shaky uneasy legs, that seemed to be made of rubber.

I knew that I had to find out the truth once and for all. I had to see if father really did, know more then what he told me. But I wasn't looking forward to it.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser: **As you can see Rama/Kirra still has a long way to go. It isn't easy going against all of her training at once. Poor Baka was probably just glad to see an almost familiar shape and was willing to greet his old mistress. Hard to say if the black cat truly remembered her or not. A gratitude for your insight.


	21. Chapter Twenty: Making a Move

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty - Making a Move**

**Kirra:**

I waited until I was sure father would be busy and occupied elsewhere for a certain amount of time, before sneaking silently back to his office, the last thing I needed was for him to catch me in the middle of something highly suspicious.

I hoped no one would see me, and then inform on me, but I knew very few Foot Soldiers had any reason to come this way, unless they were called to, also the Foot were not ones to question me or my actions, so I ought to be safe.

I didn't even know why I was doing this, I really didn't. I must be going crazy to even consider such a plan, especially as it had been based on so little to begin with. I ought to turn back and forget this nonsense once and for all but my feet continued to carry me, quite unwillingly to father's office.

_' You **do** know why you are doing this. It is a matter of life and death, **your life!** Aren't you tired of living the lie he has forced you to live?'_

I backed up a step or two in sudden hesitation knowing I couldn't go through with this, father had to have a rational explanation. There was no way I could continue on this path, I could all ready feel my stomach lurching wildly in protest.

" I don't want to, I don't want to I owe father more then this…" I whispered.

_' Get in and out fast. Be careful to leave no trace of having been there. You'll manage.'_ The voice ordered sharply, _' You **have** to do this!'_

I slowly went and picked the lock on the office door knowing, even as I did so, what punishment I could expect from father for betraying him to this extent. He would not be lenient with me, he never had been.

I was so nervous that it took me a couple of tries before I succeeded in unlocking the door, at this rate I'd end up tripping the alarms inside the office, so I took a moment or two, to take a couple of deep breaths and did a quick meditation, before slipping through the office door into the dark room beyond.

I could feel my heart beating triple time against my shell, a cold clammy sweat trickled down my brow and I felt my mouth go almost instantly dry, as I got my bearings and did my best to make not a single sound.

I was going be in so much trouble if I was caught, it didn't really matter if I did nothing more then what I had accomplished, I was going be severely punished.

The inner voice laughed at me, as if amused by my distress, _' You never worried about being in trouble when you were Mike's kid.'_

I had a feeling that Mike was far more lenient then father was or ever could be, I had a feeling the turtle was not so strict or demanding, nor would he end up beating a person to the point of death to teach them a valuable lesson to not betray him.

I gulped listening to the silence of the office.

It was time to get on with this staying frozen in one spot really wasn't going help me.

I moved cautiously avoiding the security cameras and the lasers with ease, knowing I could not trip or turn off the alarm system in any way. I was at least thankful that I knew of the measures in this room, as well as in his private room, though I happened to know the security was of a higher sort in his bedroom. Father didn't want to risk any one sneaking up on him and killing him in his sleep.

I managed to get to the desk and crouched low behind it, as I began to pick the lock on the one drawer that held the personnel files. I found nothing in there that I could relate to me, there was a file on Kuma but it was a fake one for the family history in it was wrong.

Obviously there ought to be one on me, and the true documents on Kuma as well, but where would father keep them?

I raised my head slightly as I considered things and ran over a few possibilities while holding my breath. I realized that I ought to get out of the office, just leave and forget this insanity.

Still my hands seemed to be moving of their own accord, much as my feet had been when they had carried me to the office to begin with.

My hands were pulling all the files out of the drawer, keeping them painstakingly in order and placing them ever so carefully where they would not trip the lasers that were set. Only when the drawer was completely empty did I realize there was a false bottom.

I rolled my eyes, I knew I should have expected as much, and obviously my ninja instincts had suspected it. Father did have a ninja's soul he had so many secret and hidden places throughout the whole Foot headquarters that a fake bottom on a drawer was child's play.

I smiled as I pried up the bottom and saw underneath a few files one was marked Kuma and that one listed his father as Yukio Sekora among other things, but I wasn't really interested in Kuma's file.

Then there were two other folders one marked Ra/Kirra and another simply marked Kirra.

I opened one and noticed some notes and a few photographs showing a young turtle child in a grubby hooded sweatshirt playing with a young boy on a rooftop the New York City Skyline across the background.

" Jessie" I whispered as I saw the boy.

I knew there wasn't time to read through all the files but I knew father had a photocopier hidden in a small alcove of his office, and I could use that to copy everything to read at my leisure.

The alcove was hidden behind a picture and to open the door I would have to be careful to not break a laser or it would trigger an alarm, I also knew that there was a hidden camera poised so it would catch the door opening and closing at any time. I didn't have time to fiddle with the camera so it would not show this breach of security, if I stayed low I shouldn't even be caught on film so father might suspect any one.

I had time yet to photocopy the information I had found, but still I hesitated for I knew I was digging the hole deeper and repercussions would be extremely severe. If I was caught father would be justified in teaching me a lesson for my lack of loyalty towards him.

Still I had come this far and it seemed strange to me, to turn back now, when I was so close, when I literally held the answers to my past in my own hands.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the wall just enough to allow me to slip with ease into the alcove beyond hoping that the camera had not caught the action.

Soon I was busy with the photocopier. Never before had I ever wanted a machine any machine to move faster then what it was capable of doing, but now when time seemed short and the copier seemed to drag on as it made copy after copy, I had to wonder if the machine was allied with father and set to catch me out.

I counted seconds, minutes as I urged the pondering thing to get a move on. I didn't have a lot of time to begin with but the fickle thing continued in its slow agonizing pace.

I bit my lip in frustration wanting to scream, because I knew it was taking much too long. I was starting to think I heard other noises or the sense of someone drawing near to the office and they would hear the noise of the photocopier within.

Time had to be running out and I was getting more unnerved and anxious by the second. I began to pace and bite slightly at my nails, finally it was over and I had to swallow back a cheer of relief.

However I knew I still had to get out of here without being caught, and that would be a trick in itself.

I folded the many papers into my belt pouches, insured the papers in the files were as they should be, as well as making sure the photocopier had sufficient paper and had no other signs of betraying me to father.

I at least had, had the foresight to wear gloves before starting this mission so there was no fingerprints to worry about.

I slipped out of the alcove the same way I had come in and then I replaced everything into the desk drawer exactly as I had found it, knowing that one little thing out of place could trigger father's suspicion.

I knew I had stayed out of the cameras views at all times, so father wouldn't have any reason to assume that it was **me,** after all he himself had spoken often of how loyal and faithful he knew me to be. He had no reason to doubt me.

Still just to be on the safe side I best come up with a believable alibi, though I wasn't really much of a liar. I hated liars so I myself avoided lies where I could.

I cautiously back tracked though at that point all I wanted to do was make a break for it and run from the office. I knew I had to maintain control. It wasn't easy to do but once I reached the office door I paused to listen outside before sneaking out of father's office.

I almost ran from there back to my own bedroom, I quickly locked my door and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I was shaking quite badly and had to take a few minutes to calm down.

I sat down on my bed and hauled out my hard earned reading material and put everything into order.

The first entry in father's neat handwriting mentioned a meeting with a Patrick Callahan concerning a small turtle humanoid. There was a date and time of meeting.

The second entry read, Meeting went far better then expected. Information well worth my time if not my money, therefore I have all ready retrieved my money and have sent the Foot to collect the specimen.

Next entry said that the Specimen was captured with little problems and seems to be fairly intelligent. Does have a good foundation of ninja training as I expected. Interrogation reveals she is the daughter of the turtle called Michaelangelo and her name is Ramela.

I sat back shocked and not wanting to believe what I read, what I saw written on the page before me, father had known about my ties to the turtle clan. He had known it all along.

But what about the lab?

There was a lab, there had to be a lab. I needed to know that there was a lab at some point in my life.

I found my eyes drawn back to the pages and read further how father plotted to use me against my family, if he could only make me obedient to him and forget those I once knew and loved.

There was something else about the Stockholm Syndrome, which I didn't really understand because there was no details as to what that syndrome was or how it was brought about.

There were following notes though about lessons that had been given to make me forget while somehow rebuilding me into something, someone else. Simple notations stating dates and names of who I had given up on and when, and how the different lessons he subjected me too in his desire to gain my obedience.

Cruel bitter torture, sever suffering all forced upon the child I once was so that I would be broken and then he could make me into his servant.

How once I had accepted him as my father and took on the name of Kirra that the rest came so easy.

Then other notes of how well I behaved for him, how eager I was to please, how his every wish was my command. He remarked that I had turned out far better then he had ever expected me to, that I was willing to work harder and longer for the promise of some intangible reward or a kind word from him.

There was no mention of a lab anywhere.

Here then was the truth of my beginnings, the knowledge that my father had of my past, written in black ink on plain white paper. He had known the truth and he had lied to me all along.

He had learned of me from someone, caught me and then made me his slave.

I choked back a sob, all this time I hated liars and those who lied to me, but not once had I ever thought that I was living a lie and my father had fed me on a constant diet of lies, which I had accepted as the whole truth.

Somehow he truly had, almost, made me forget who I was, except for those memories of my childhood which, had absolutely refused to be locked away.

"He lied. He lied," I screamed repeatedly as my fists hit hard onto the bedding.

He had lied, and I had believed him for so long now that I didn't know who or what to believe anymore. What else in my life wasn't true?

I didn't know.

Somewhere the wall he had built was crashing down.

_He lied and doesn't deserve your loyalty._

**I pledged allegiance to the Foot to serve my Master.**

_He will destroy you, he has given you nothing._

**He is my father and I owe him my very life, my soul, everything that I am.**

_You control your life!_

I will serve, I must serve him until the end of my days, otherwise the vow I swore means nothing and I am worthless. Not even seppuku could restore what I lose.

I crumpled into a ball on my bed clamping my hands over my head as I screamed loud and long into the pillows.

I didn't know what was going on right now, all I knew was my hatred at my father's deception and my fierce loyalty to my father, along with the feelings that I was betraying him suddenly seemed to be at war with one another.

The worst part of it was I knew whatever side won I only stood to lose.

TBC

**Lunar Ninja:** The last chapter was titled revelation, which meant something was revealed and something was. Kuma is Yukio's son and Rama's life might not be such a sure thing. As for making a decision keep reading if she is capable of making a choice it will probably be in the next five or six chapters. Remember she is fighting years of brainwashing/programming ect. From Yukio so it can't happen all at once. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Yes, She is aware that she is Mike's daughter for all the good it does her now. Not really Schizo, schizophrenics have an imbalance in the brain that is usually there from birth but shows later on. A schizo's voices might encourage a person to hurt themselves, kill, overdose ect. Whereas Rama/Kirra's inner voice could be a subconscious trying to wake her up before time runs out or a case of MPD- Multiple Personality disorder. A person that has one or more personalities each different that lives inside one person, a main person usually acts out front while the others emerge on occasion, not normally harmful to the host. MPD often is found in those who have suffered severe childhood abuse. A gratitude for your insight.


	22. Chapter twenty one: It comes to this

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty One - It comes to this**

**Kirra:**

I wanted to run, to hide away from everyone and everything but I knew, no place would ever be safe for father would find me, no matter where I went, and he'd make me pay for betraying him.

But how could I even think of being loyal to him, when he wasn't even loyal to me. Did two wrongs make a right, could I possibly shrug off all I owed my father for a few lies?

_A few lies! Your whole life is a lie._

Father couldn't hurt me, he wouldn't hurt me. Besides he may have lied to me but as a leader he has his own plans and reasoning there has to be some reasonable explanation. I swore a sacred oath as a ninja, to serve him to the best of my abilities. I can't betray him for I would be breaking my vow.

' _He thinks nothing of betraying you. The truth is he doesn't give a damn about you_.'

" Shut up just leave me alone!" I yelled in fury.

' _I can't Ramiela I am doing this for you_.'

I looked at the papers scattered across my bedspread and I longed to grab those papers up rip them into confetti and burn it, so that, that way I wouldn't have to see it and maybe I could convince myself that it wasn't **true.**

_' Like hell perhaps when pigs **fly.'**_

I shuddered whimpering slightly as I burst into tears again.

I couldn't recall crying like this before and I didn't know why I was crying so much now. I couldn't seem to stop it or control it. Truly I was weak, and showing it but I was exhausted from lack of sleep and the constant barrage.

I had no one to talk to, no one I could turn to, there was no one who I could trust to offer me any advice or even an understanding ear for that matter. Father had taught me that friendships were meaningless to those who had to rule. For one could not afford to allow friendship to get in the way of important decisions, a friend could lead you astray or end up stabbing you in the back. I had been taught to rely on myself, go with gut instincts and use my mental skills to my advantage and that was far more important.

Now though I longed to have someone I could turn to, especially now that I felt I was falling apart.

I was supposed to be a kunoichi, but I felt far more like a frightened lost little girl. As a ninja I was supposed to be obedient to my clan and thinking such thoughts of betrayal was dangerous.

I had been raised to honour and respect my father. He reminded me on a daily basis how lucky I was, that he had decided to spare my life and in the end, when push came to shove the truth of the matter was, I owed him no matter what lies he had told me.

Then again he had lied to me. Lied about who I was and where I had come from, lied about my future and my past. Lied about everything knowing all the while how much I detested those who chose to deceive me.

These thoughts chased around my mind I first leaned one way then another, torn by conflict, and doubt I wasn't sure what my next step should be. As these things continued to tumble around the occasional memory would crop up.

The memories of my childhood only made me more acutely aware of all I had lost when my family hadn't found me. Nor were these recollections helping me get any sort of bearing in the situation at hand.

Why couldn't the memories and the voice for once just be silent, give me a moment of clear thinking to come up with some sort of idea of what I was going to do next.

There was so much I was unsure of at this point in time, but one thing I knew without a doubt, was that no matter what path I took I was going to die very soon.

I felt my own death looming up on me, the shadow of it hiding just around the corner waiting for the moment to reach out and claim my life and soul for itself.

If I helped my true family, the turtle clan I knew they and I might die in just trying to escape this place. If by some miracle we managed to get out alive, the turtle family would want me dead for the role I had played in the events. They would treat me like an enemy for that is what I was to them now.

On top of that I would have to be wary of the Foot clan and my father seeking retribution for my betrayal.

If I stayed, I might possible live if I could think clearly I could possibly find a way I was almost sure of that.

_' Your kidding yourself right?'_

" Get out of my head!" I raged at the inner voice.

' _Watch talking to yourself girl it isn't very healthy_.'

" Damn it! **Leave** me **alone!**"

_' Sorry Ramiela I can't. Trust me you can handle this kid but you have got to pull yourself together if you are going out think Yukio at this game.'_ The voice urges sounding truly apologetic.

" I have nothing to fear of father." I insisted firmly.

'_Ki ga kurutta ka. Motte iru shi o nozuomu _ka' ( Crazy? Have a death wish?)

" Iie." I replied honestly. ( No)

' _Then pull yourself together because by the time you do it might be too late to act. Just remember the memories can't hurt you they are only echoes of what once has been_.'

Suddenly there was a loud demanding rapping at my door that caused me to jump slightly and started my heart to hammering under my plastron. I froze momentarily as I stared at the papers across my bed. I quickly gathered them up and shoved them under the mattress while calling out that I was coming.

I took a moment or two to take a couple of deep reassuring breaths before I went to answer the door.

I was surprised to see Kuma, himself standing there and I felt my legs turn to rubber under me, I was sure that I trembled ever so slightly as I wondered what he wanted, what he was doing here at my door.

Had he come to warn me, no I doubted that after all father wouldn't appreciate that and Kuma would know it as well as I did.

I did my best to stare hard into his face, as I did so I noticed a few similarities he bore with father, the hard square jaw, the sharp dark penetrating eyes were so familiar I wondered why I hadn't noticed it before.

Kuma had also been the one to cut down the woman and child in the living room and he had wanted to kill Karena and the children too I recalled. I realized that father might have sent Kuma as back up on that mission to ensure his orders were followed.

" Kirra Master Sekora wishes to speak with you in his office immediately" he ordered in the same cold demanding tone father used, not even using any deference before me.

I gave him a scathing look " Very well, I thank you for the message but I thought the Elite were above running messages for the Master." I remarked tightly.

He gave a slight smile and bowed towards me as I slipped out of my bedroom and headed towards father's office while doing my best to stay alert to Kuma who was still behind me.

I could feel his eyes drilling into my back, I could almost sense the sneer, the contempt he held under the deference he gave. He was not to be trifled with and I did my best to act as I should, in other words to act as if he was beneath me.

When I passed the stair well he headed on down to the lower levels but I kept part of my senses trained to him alert just in case he decided to come back and check my quarters for anything.

I was getting paranoid, seeing danger where there probably was none to worry about, but I couldn't seem to help or stop that either.

I was sure that father had found me out and that he now knew I had betrayed him somehow, that I had turned traitor and could no longer be trusted so he had called me to his office to deal with me.

If I didn't go to his office I'd be in trouble. I had to appear before him, this was **not** an option, but I really didn't want to face him knowing the danger that I could very well be in.

'_Come on Ramiela you know he often sends for you. It might not be related to what you did, so take it easy and whatever you do, don't give anything away_.' The voice urged.

True it might be nothing.

I still felt tremendously cold all over and full of nervous trepidation, my feet seemed to be moving through molasses the closer I got to his office and my stomach churned wildly. All I wanted to do at that moment, was bolt and run as far and as fast as I could the other direction.

My feet disobeyed me however, for they continued to carry me to the one place I really didn't want to be.

Never had going to father's office seem to take so long, or so much out of me either.

I entered his office doing my best to remain calm and feeling that I was probably failing that miserably, but I had to act like things were normal. Suddenly I got to thinking.

What exactly is normal anyways?

" You sent for me Master?" I asked softly fighting down the urge to spew as I bowed.

" I am sorry to have disturbed your rest Kirra but I have come to a decision."

I almost sighed with relief at his words; that meant he hadn't found any thing, at least not yet. He didn't know I had snuck in and gone through his personal things. I knew I was by no means safe, for he could still learn it, but the knowledge helped me relax.

" The lesson I gave to Leonardo has gone far better then I hoped. Therefore I have moved their sentence up to tomorrow morning."

I smiled but opted to stay silent because I didn't trust myself to speak, for I still felt a strange mixture of fierce loyalty and a deep burning rage towards him.

" I am going allow you Kirra the honour of killing Michaelangelo, so you can finally silence his speech." Father declared.

I am sure my body betrayed me in that instant, in some fashion, my eyes might have looked away, perhaps I may have gone slightly paler, something because I knew there was no way that my verbal and physical communication could match in that instant.

" You honour me Master, and I look forward to doing this most pleasurable duty." I responded solemnly.

" I knew you would be pleased Kirra." Father smiled. He looked my way and gave a sympathetic look " Now do try and rest Kirra you look far worse then you did this morning and I need you prepared for tomorrow."

I bowed before taking my leave.

I returned quickly to my bedroom and instantly verified that my papers were still where I had placed them.

I sat huddled on the bed, wondering what I was going to do now.

It seemed things were snowballing all out of proportion. It was a wildfire that blazed out of control devouring everything in its path and leaving only charred waste behind.

I had a choice to make and very little time to make a decision.

It seemed that come morning I would either be forced to dishonour and disgrace my clan, or kill the very turtle who I knew now was my real father.

This wasn't a choice I wanted to make, wasn't a choice I felt ready to make because right now I really didn't know which way I wanted to go. Nor did I wish to make a decision I would regret later, I didn't wish to feel pushed into this.

Yet something truly was pushing me to make a choice and soon.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser: **yes she knows the truth and the time to make a choice is close at hand, though she wavers. Thanks for catching the chocked choke bit somehow I missed that one. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja:** Behead Yukio now? Sorry I need him for a while yet. Yes poor Rama has been seriously duped and now she has been placed between a rock and a hard place so her final choice ought to be coming soon. Hope you stay tuned for them. A gratitude for your insight.


	23. Chapter Twenty two : Pawn

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Two - Pawn**

**Kirra:**

In spite of all my father's lies he was still very much my father, or at least the man I had accepted as my father many years ago, and I knew that I still owed him a great deal even with all his deceptions. I also knew what to expect if I dared to disobey him.

On the other hand, Michaelangelo **was** my true father but I hardly knew him, except from my now, not so distant memories. Those very same memories might cause me to hesitate during his execution.

If that was to happen what would father think? Or worse yet do to me?

I never cared for execution killings to begin with, I found little or no honour in them, but I knew executions were sometimes necessary and I had accepted it as part of my life as a ninja. I knew I would be called on to do executions now and again for my Master so I had learned to do the distasteful task, preferring to get it over and done with quickly.

This time though I didn't know if I could trust myself to do the job at hand. I couldn't stop the flow of memories as it was, so there was no way I could block off what the turtle had meant to me at one time. Those memories already haunted and badgered me enough as it was and seemed ready to show me in every way, what sort of parent Michaelangelo was compared to my adopted father.

Even now as I felt pulled and torn in two separate directions images came…

There was one of the two of us sitting on a battered stained couch, the stuffing showing through in places, as the young version of me read to him often my tongue tripped over what seemed to be long or extremely difficult words.

He would gently correct me, or give correct pronunciation as needed but waited patiently to see if I would get the word right on my own first.

" Wonderful Rama you finished the story" he cheered for me.

" Have trouble with words daddy." I complained.

" That is because you are new to reading. You need to practise and then it will be much easier for you, I promise." He assured me as he gave me a hug and a kiss.

Another image came on the heels of the first, this one of me falling from my skateboard and badly scraping both of my knees, daddy caring for my wounds.

" This is your own fault Rama, you have no one to blame but yourself. Where were your safety pads huh?" He demanded abruptly, " If you had been wearing them **like** you are supposed to, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." He reminded me sharply.

" They are in my room" I sniffed my eyes filling up with tears.

" How are they supposed to protect you in there? That is one of your rules right, wear your safety gear when riding?"

" I hates rules. I gots too many daddy." I protested.

" Even I have rules Rama."

" You makes rules daddy" I pointed out.

" Not all of them. I have clan rules that I have to follow and one day you will have to follow those rules to keep the whole family safe" Dad insisted, " People topside also have rules that they have to follow rules at work, rules for driving in a car, and some rules that are called laws that if you break you end up in **very** big trouble" he explained patiently " We might not **like** all the rules we must live by but it makes living with one another easier and it keeps us safe." Now his eyes grew hard and stern, a scowl crossed his face " Since you didn't obey your rules I am taking your skateboard and bike away for a week. Let that and your sore knees be a reminder to you."

" I **hates **you!" I yelled at him feeling he was being very unfair to me, I crossed my arms over my plastron and pouted.

" Go ahead and hate me Rama." He declared giving me a hard look, which softened slightly as he spoke next, " Just remember that I love you and always will."

Another flash and that image faded to be replaced by Michaelangelo sitting on a bed holding me in his arms while an angry Leonardo stood near the bed with his arms crossed and a dark look on his face as he glowered at me. I could see Raphael and Karena standing near the doorway watching with interest.

" It is all right Rama settle down and tell me, babe what do too many fingers have to do with you taking Raph's sais? Why not our weapons?" Dad asked.

I looked up at my Sensei, " Your weapons different. Too many fingers not matter for chuck, or staff or ka-ka-tana. Too many fingers for sai." I sobbed as I tried to explain hoping that dad would understand what Sensei didn't.

Somehow I knew I didn't have the right words to say what I really wanted to. I had to hope that what I said would suffice.

Luckily, dad did seem to know what I was getting at.

Those, and so many other images, told me that he had been a loving parent quick to offer sympathy when it was needed and deserved, but also quite willing to lay down the law and up hold it when it was necessary, without having to resort to violence or extreme harsh disciplinary measures.

He was different from the man I called father. Yukio had never offered me such comfort or kindness. No father was very quick to discipline to the extent that he went well above and beyond the crime that had been perpetrated in the first place. Father ruled with a hard and fast hand.

I sighed could I really kill Michaelangelo knowing what I now knew about him?

I knew I might hesitate, even involuntarily and instead of a quick painless death I may subject him to a slow agonizing one. I might make him suffer, though that might please father and the foot more.

I wanted to obey father. I knew I should obey him. Yet I doubted my ability to carry this through to the end. Besides how could I obey father now after everything that I had learned?

It was so confusing I didn't know what to think or decide. So I wallowed and sank deeper in a pool of indecision and doubt instead.

_' You know what Yukio wants from you. How about what Michaelangelo may want from you?'_ The inner voice whispered.

That is easy, I scoffed, he wants his **freedom.** He will want me to help him and his family escape. I don't even have to ask him to know that. What I want to know is _why_ I should do that for him!"

_' Don't you want a chance to get to know him?'_ The voice asked.

" No I don't want to get to **know **him. It will only make the decision more difficult to make. I have to execute him. **Not** befriend him," I snapped irritably to myself.

'_It is far better to make an informed choice then a choice made on scraps of information, gossip or preconcieved notions for that matter_.' The voice advised, ' _He might be able to offer a little friendly advice if nothing else._'

Yeah right, I thought, why would he even give a damn about me after all this time. I'm not his little girl any more. I sighed and bowed my head in misery, " he is still the enemy."

' _He is the father that you should have known all along. Isn't there something you would like to say to him?_' The voice urged

What difference will it make to him, or I? He will still die tomorrow.

'_All the more reason to speak with him now._' The voice urged.

I wondered where this voice came from, I doubted it came from the turtles themselves most of them considered me their enemy thought they might want to try and get me to aid them through such means, I somehow doubted it. Besides I didn't have the feeling I often received when another ninja probed at my mind in any way. I had the feeling this voice was truly internal and stemmed from something other then from the captives.

I lowered my head even further feeling the constant pounding of my headache. The grittiness of my eyes from lack of sleep, I longed to rest, to shut my eyes but I knew that I would not escape from the nightmares that waited for me.

By day I had my memories at night dreams filled with such horror that I woke screaming and terrified.

I felt pulled stretched thin, feeling drawn to those I once had called family yet at the same time wanting little or nothing to do with them.

I couldn't clear my mind of the confusion no matter how hard I tried. I knew I was lost in a world of chaos, utter confusion, sheer hopeless madness. Knowing this and finding the way out, the steps I needed to take to regain sanity, was two different things however.

Funny how things turn out, how what you thought you knew and were so sure of could be taken from you so easily.

A little over a week ago, I was Kirra a kunoichi of the Foot Clan, daughter to Yukio and heir to the Foot branch in New York.

Now I knew I wasn't Kirra. I wasn't Yukio's daughter or his heir. I was hated and despised by the Foot and by those I once called family.

I was the enemy in my true family's eyes, as well as the enemy in my adopted family's eyes.

No matter what I tried to cling to it was stripped from me, the grains of sand not just drifting out of my hand but pouring out leaving me with nothing. I wasn't sure of anything any more.

I didn't know who I was now, or what sort of future lay before me, or even if there was a way that I might be able to escape all those who wanted to see me dead.

All I wanted right now, in this very instance was to sneak away and find some place of solitude where I could live out the rest of my days in peace. Was that too much to ask?

I suppose it was, for I knew I would never get it.

I would never have a family or a future. I had lost both twice over and I was afraid to start over again for I knew it wouldn't work for me. It would fail.

I would fail!

I knew that I was meant to fail, that perhaps it was ordained even because I realized in the end I was nothing more then a pawn and pawns role is to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of all. Pawns always come to a dead end.

Victory, hope future a life is not meant for one cast as a pawn. Pawns were lowly pieces meant to advance another's purpose. I was just a pawn to my father I knew that now.

But as a pawn I knew I still had a role to play in this game, though I wasn't quite sure what that role fully was.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser: **Ah things are going be turning very quickly after all you have ten more chapters to go. Can you believe it? With all my other stories on the go updating once a week is good. Yes I plan to re-do the sequel after this and " The Legacy" rewrite is done. Also plan to rewrite Bond of Friendship and Therefore I am. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja:** Rama hanging by a thread perhaps mentally and figuratively if not fully literally. No that little voice isn't about to let up at least not yet. Ten more chapters to go! A gratitude for your insight.


	24. Chapter twenty three: Your Call

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Three - Your Call...**

**Michaelangelo:**

Leo came back from his most recent torture session with one eye swollen shut and numerous cuts and slashes over his body. I watched as he was pushed past me to his designated spot.

" You okay Leo?"

" I'll live for now" came his simple reply.

I knew he was hurting and in pain, but I also knew what he meant, for all of us would live for now, live at the whims of Yukio, who enjoyed seeing us tortured enough to cause pain but not allow us freedom from that pain or torture. He could keep this going for an indefinite period of time.

It was wearing us all down, we all had that definite dejected, beaten air about us and I think we all privately hoped that he would soon tire of playing with us, and just finish the job.

After all our existence at this moment really wasn't a great deal to speak of.

My mouth and wrist still pained me quite a bit from where the sa tjat koen had been used on me.

Gods, I wanted out of this place.

Suddenly as if my thoughts had been enough to call her here, Rama entered the prison as the elite guards left, she had changed dramatically even in the last twenty four hours or so. I could feel a great deal of inner turmoil and conflict going on in her mind.

I thought we looked bad, Rama looked like she had been pushed to the edge and was teetering uneasily waiting for that one little push to send her falling down into the brink. Days ago she had been confident, poised, now she had a defeated frightened look to her. She had the air of one who was doomed and knew it.

She moved stiffly woodenly going about her business but it was clear in so many ways that she was in constant fight or flight mode and it was wearing on her, not only that the high energy and stress she was under meant anything could set her off.

In short she was a walking time bomb.

I heard Don whisper, " Watch yourself now Mike."

My heart ached for her, just seeing her like this, seeing what Yukio had done to her. He was torturing her even though she had given him all he had wanted. He tortured us physically and mentally but he enjoyed messing totally with Rama's mind.

She was quite literally in the same boat we were and I realized then that Don had to of been right about something else, that Yukio would kill her in the end too. I wished Leo would look at her and realize that she wasn't just another Foot soldier, for Yukio wasn't driving his other clan members to this point.

I felt like yelling at Rama and also wanted to take her into my arms and comfort her all at the same time.

Didn't she know what Yukio was doing to her? Didn't she care that he was killing her?

_Oh Rama,my daughter you have to try to break free before it is too late for you. He is killing you bit by bit, piece by piece and you can't let him do it anymore,_ I pleaded in desperation, but I did so silently, _Start living again Rama break free._

I wanted to scream these words at her but I knew it would gain me nothing other then a bit of torture, she didn't want to hear me for she was devoted to her Master.

She said nothing to any of us just went about her task of releasing me from the shackles, placing restraints on me and forcing me roughly from the cell.

She was so well trained I doubted she would get sloppy about such things. I heard Raph mentally telling me that if she gave me a chance to use it. I didn't respond to his silent message.

She brought me to the same practice room where she had used me for target practice before, considering her mental state I really had no idea what to expect from her this time. I knew I was in a dangerous position where any thing I said or did might cause Rama to attack me.

She stood there a few feet from me her face hard and bitter, but her eyes were full of pain and torment, I sensed how mentally confused she was but she made no move just stood her ground waiting for some thing.

" Rama?" I asked cautiously keeping my voice low.

She flinched as I spoke, then a cold sneer etched across her face.

" What the hell do you want from me? It's too late to be what I once was. That life and time is gone now. I have to obey him don't you know that?" she demanded sharply.

" Rama I am fully aware of what Yukio is capable of, we have seen it enough times and connected him to other things. We know what he does to those who betray and defy him" I admitted, " I am sure that you have a much better understanding of what he can do in those situations, you have lived with it for a very long time. You have grown very strong to have made it this far with him" I assured her, then I couldn't help but ask her, the words tumbling from my mouth " Don't you wonder though what he will do to you in the end? You have to try and break free from him Rama."

" You mean break **you** free" she scoffed as she corrected me.

" Personally, I would love it if you took us with you" I grinned giving her my best friendly you can't turn me down smile, " But I know it might be too much to ask of you at this time." I confessed. " It is just I would like to see you make a choice of your own. Decide for yourself what you want. I know it isn't easy trying to make a decision when the only choices you have had to make in life is do this or get hurt for it."

She shifted and gave me a strange look.

" Yes I admit I want out of here, I want my family out of here. Most of all I **want** you out of here Rama, but that is something that only **you** should decide on."

" What do you know about it?" She hissed at me as she started to pace in an agitated fashion.

I watched her warily knowing that she could truly attack at any given second now. I didn't know if I was helping her relax or egging her on to it.

Though I was doing my absolute best to not call Yukio down because I knew how protective she was of him. Besides right now she was listening to me, and I rather hoped that the fact she hadn't hurt me as of yet meant I might get away with out being injured. I highly doubted the last bit but hope does spring eternal in us optimistic types.

Still I knew how quickly she could attack, so I knew things could change, literally in a heartbeat or less.

" Just looking at you tells me Rama. My ninja senses tell me that you aren't all together enough for a decision of this magnitude. You are going have to get it together before you make a choice." I insisted.

" I can't. I've tried, **I can't!"** She yelled at me.

I took a step back expecting the worst, she really was off the wall and could fly off the handle. Oh I had no doubt that she could kill me in an instant if she decided to. Then again I had been known to talk my self out of all sort of trouble before this, I just had to turn on a little charm.

" You can Rama you are a ninja and a damned good one from everything that I have seen. I bet you could even put Leo to the test in the ninja department." I assured her speaking in a calm reassuring way while at the same time speaking honestly as I could, I wanted her to know I was being sincere, " As a ninja that training can help you **now.** At times a ninja must live in the now. You are going have to rely on that and do what you have to do." I declared pointing out the facts but doing my best to keep my voice as soothing as possible, " Fall apart later when there is time to do so, but right now when important decisions must be made and certain tasks must be accomplished you must focus **only** on that training and let nothing else distract you."

She jerked her head back looking at me uneasily and then her face seemed to soften ever so slightly " If I do help you, I'm not saying that I will, what can you offer me?"

" I can't offer you a lot Rama after all Leo is the jonin of our clan. I can't even promise you that helping us would gain you a place in our family or clan because that is Leo's decision not mine to make" I admitted, " I can tell you that you won't have to worry about being alone because I will help you and I will fight for you. I'd protect you from the Foot or even from my own family" I vowed, meaning it, after all I had promised myself that if it came between choosing Rama or my family I would choose her. " I love you Rama I always have and always will." I smiled a little, " If you help us you know better then any of us what Yukio might try to do to you."

I saw her shake slightly and swallow hard at my words.

" I will watch your back and help you wherever however I can. I just want you to make that decision Rama."

" What if I decide to kill you and obey **him?"** She asked with a smirk on her face.

" If that is what you decide and want then all right, so be it. I just don't want anyone telling you what you should do or ought to do. It seems Yukio and I both have a stake in pulling at your heartstrings. Maybe you don't feel that I have much say in the matter, but in my heart and mind I feel that I do." I shrugged, " I can't help it just the way I am. I know what you have to be facing with all of this Rama, and I don't want to make things more difficult for you then they already are. This is something you need to do for you, and no body else has the right to decide for you." I declared meaning it.

I knew I was repeating myself in many ways but I also knew that it might take a bit of repetition for Rama to realize that she didn't have to obey Yukio as blindly as she had thus far, that she could think and act for herself.

That had to be a very frightening thought in and of itself.

She sighed and bowed her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat all the forced bravado dissipating from her " You are all to be killed come morning. I am suppose to execute you." She confessed in a whisper.

" All the more reason to rely on your own training, you need it now Rama."

She raised her head " I know you are my real father. I went back to your home and found the pictures. I saw Baka" she sniffed a bit, " I know that you loved me once."

I took a cautious step towards her " I still do love you Rama and I hate seeing you hurt like this."

She rewarded me with the barest flicker of a smile before it faded " I have learned that father has a son. I wasn't aware that he had any children of his own. He _lied_ to me about so much. I don't feel I can trust father but I have to obey him he is my Master…he…"

" Rama I know you want to pay a debt to him but you also have a debt to yourself that you must pay. You have served Yukio well for many years now it is time for you to decide what it is that **you alone** want" I insisted, " This is yours to make. I know it is hard but you can do it Rama. You have to do this."

She gave me a sad forlorn lost look, " I'm not sure. I don't know what I should do. I wish it didn't have to come to this…I…" she faltered and I saw a single tear fall from her eye and trail down over her cheek. She ducked her head down and gave in to her tears and sobs.

I felt for her and without stopping to think I moved towards her taking her into my arms. I felt her body tense as if she expected the worst and she struggled, but only for a moment before she threw her arms about me, bowed her head onto my shoulder and gave in to her deep wracking cries.

I held her in my arm stroking her braid crooning to her, telling her how much I loved her and missed her, how sorry I was that she had been taken and we hadn't found her, that I had always wanted to give her the best, wanted her to have a good life. I didn't know what else I said, I don't think it really mattered.

Suddenly I realized I was holding my estranged daughter in my arms, holding her for the first time since she had disappeared as a seven year old child and I think I then added a few tears of my own to hers.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser:** Well grand total of chapters for this story is thirty one so you actually have a little less then ten. The reason one a week is with all my other stories on the go and the time to rewrite as I have no chapters written ahead means one a week works, and no story is neglected for too long. However exciting parts are coming here and I might neglect Legacy and concentrate on finishing this one off first, as the Enemy has shorter chapters anyways. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja:** Holy cheese is that Swiss cheese or is that baptized or Christened cheese? Hmmm, cheeeese! Well there are thirty one chapters in this story including the epilogue. So you can do the math and that might distract you from pulling the fingernails with rusty tongs. Course you can read the last part of my comments to Reinbeauchaser and see my other idea. A gratitude for your insight.


	25. chapter Twenty Four: Friendly Talk

The enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Author's Note: The Japanese sentences used in this chapter, were translated by me using, only a Japanese-English dictionary. I know little of the language itself so I may have some errors in that area. Any mistakes are of course my own. Ramica

**Chapter Twenty Four - Friendly Talk**

**Michaelangelo:**

I personally never really believed this day would come. Sure I hoped for it and dreamed about seeing her again or holding her in my arms _just_ one more time. At times those fantasies were all that kept me going. In the end though even I knew, though I never acknowledged it aloud, that she had been gone far too long and the odds of such a thing happening were too astronomical for me to conceive of.

No I was aware of the odds, the total improbability of it happening.

Now after so many years, months, days she was finally in my arms, I could feel her tears on my skin and feel the brush of her hair against my neck and it brought to mind all the times I held her close as a child, either when she had cried or wanted a cuddle.

I smiled to myself the girl wasn't really such a big bad tuff ninja after all. No matter what Yukio had tried to make her be, she was still my daughter at heart.

I supposed if I had been Leo or Raph I would take advantage of her momentary weakness by trying to steal a katana off her, so that I could then use it on or against her to hopefully gain freedom.

I couldn't do that though because I wanted to hold her, I wanted to keep her close and never let her go. I wanted to savour having her back in my arms where she belonged. For this one brief moment in time she wasn't Yukio's daughter. She was **mine** and I wanted to prolong this moment as long as I could.

Throw it away, never, I didn't care what it might cost us in the long run.

She sniffed a bit pulling back suddenly a look of shock and uncertainty on her face, as I let her go, much as I wished I didn't have to. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand giving me a wary look.

I guess my hugging her had been the last thing she had expected from me and now she looked as if she was trying to figure out what exactly **had** happened.

I gave her a warm smile " Feel better?" I asked simply.

" Yeah actually I do" she murmured sounding a bit surprised at it, " father has only held me once, at least there was only one time that I recall him holding me like that."

" I kind of missed hugging you Rama. I'm glad you gave me the opportunity to do it now." I grinned still elated at the recent event, " I'm proud of you Rama."

" I'm your enemy" she insisted giving me a sceptical look, " Don't you hate me?"

" No Rama I don't hate you, even though my brothers told me I ought to. I guess I just have a hard time seeing you as my enemy" I explained, " I know in many ways you don't have a choice in what your doing. You were raised as a ninja and you feel you owe Yukio for caring for you and because he is the leader of the Foot." I sighed and shrugged, " With us you would have been trained as a ninja as well but things might have been different." I sat down on the mats, " See our Master Splinter he taught us Ninjitsu partly because he knew we'd need it to survive and partly because he wanted to make sure we'd be okay when he was gone. He gave us the skills we needed to survive but for the most part he also encouraged us to be who we were." I gave a shake of my head, " he didn't understand everything Don did for us, but he never told Don he couldn't try to better our lives, he allowed me to fool around, let Raph blow off steam and when Leo showed certain signs he trained him for leadership. So Splinter let us be what we wanted to be, encouraged us to do what we enjoyed." I looked up at her " If it was up to you Rama where would you go, what would you do?"

She blinked as she slowly sank to the mats " I'd like to go home to Japan and live in the mountains. I'd love my own garden to meditate in" she replied wistfully, " I am ninja that is what I know and what I am but I want to be a ninja who forsakes the warrior ways and seeks further paths of enlightenment. I don't care for executions, there is no honour in such deaths, and I feel they bring my honour down." She declared, " Most of all I don't want to be afraid any more like I am right now."

" Gardens huh?" I chuckled, " You used to love flowers when you were little it seems you held on to that. One of your favourite treats was when I would bring you a bouquet of flowers from topside, you just loved the bright colours, the different scents and textures." I told her.

She nodded slightly.

" Japan is that where you were raised Rama? Guess so if you call it home. I figured that is where he took you, at least when I saw you here and realized who you were it dawned on me where you had been hiding and why we couldn't find you." I rambled on I could see she wasn't paying much attention to me.

" Homushihki ni naru ka." I asked suddenly switching to the Japanese language. ( Are you homesick.)

She raised her head a wide smile on her face as she heard my words, " Hai sukoshi no." she informed me quickly. ( Yes, a little.)

I nodded it was understandable " Nani suru no ga inaku natte sabishiki omou ka" I wondered. ( What do you miss the most?)

" Hotando zenber sa. Iki o nomu yo na keshiki" she responded almost cheerfully, then as an after thought she declared " Hanasu subarashie nihon-go." ( Almost everything, the breath taking scenery. You speak wonderful Japanese.)

" Arigato gozaimasu. Koto ga dekiru sore o no kaku." I told her as I bowed to her for giving me a compliment. ( Thank you I can also write it.)

" Kanji. Katakana soretomo hiragana ka" she inquired curiously.

I knew she wanted to know what I wrote kanji was regular writing but unlike kanji both hiragana and katakana characters had a single reading and represented a sound rather then a meaning.

" Subete no" I answered honestly. ( All.)

She laughed slightly then stopped.

I arched an eye ridge at her both amused and delighted to hear her laughter.

" Subeki de aru yoku warai motto oku no" I advised her tenderly. ( You should laugh more often.)

She ducked her head, I think she didn't want me to see her blushing but I saw it any way.

" Rama I don't want this to end, I truly don't. I have dreamed of a chance to get to know you better since I first saw you here." I confessed, " I enjoy talking with you in any language you choose to talk to me in. I love you Rama and I am very proud of you. Just do me one favour and no matter what happens, **you,**" I pointed to her with one finger, " Alone decide which way you are going to go. Don't let what Yukio wants or what I want be the deciding factor. **You** make up your own mind" I declared, " If you help us or not that is your choice, and no matter which way you go I will accept it. Even if you happen to change your mind" I gazed firmly into her eyes, " But there is one thing you are going have to do Rama."

She blinked a confused look on her face, her brow furrowed in puzzlement " What is that?" she wondered aloud.

I took a deep breath " I want you to torture me before you take me back" I replied firmly, knowing that there could be no other way.

She jumped to her feet backing away shaking her head " Your **crazy!**" she protested.

" Am I?" I shrugged, " I guess this place could do that to me, course most my family would insist that I have been more then a little touched for some time" I joshed, then I grew serious " If you don't torture me somehow and in someway the guards might become suspicious that I have no fresh wounds."

" They'd warn father that something was up" she concluded catching on to my train of thought.

" Exactly Rama and then Yukio might take the choice, **your** choice away from you."

" I didn't bring you here to torture you," she moaned.

I grinned, " I'm glad to hear that but like I said if the guards and Yukio are expecting you to torture me and you don't they may think you are plotting something, even though at this moment you are just, undecided." I explained, " Look Rama, you don't have to torture me, that is your choice too it just might look funny and cause some trouble if you don't do it is all."

I couldn't believe that I was asking, no, practically begging her to go ahead and torture me but in essence that was exactly what I was doing. " Look Rama sometimes in life we all have to do things that we don't really want to do. I accept that, and I would rather you hurt me, then give Yukio a reason to hurt you."

I saw her nod wearily as if accepting the logic of my words if not fully accepting what went with it.

She turned briefly away then looked back at me pleading quietly " Yurusu ka." (forgive?)

" Itsumo musume" I answered immediately. ( Always daughter.)

I don't know who was more hurt by what followed, Rama who clearly didn't want to do it, or myself for talking her into it in the first place.

Though she was reluctant at first, it was almost as if something, or someone took over for as soon as she started she seemed determined to give me a very full and thorough beating with a whip.

She didn't stop until she had drawn blood in numerous places some fresh new wounds other wounds that had hardly been healed breaking open under the fierce onslaught.

I had gritted my teeth waiting it out, telling myself that this beating was nothing, not compared to all the beating and suffering Rama had suffered at Yukio's hands for so many years. If she could live with all she had been through, then I had no right to complain now.

By the time she took me back to the prison I looked sufficiently beaten and bloody to suffice. I also did my best to act as if the beating had taken everything out of me.

Inside though I was bursting with joy, a deep happiness that I knew I had to bury deep though it was almost impossible to contain.

I had learned a few things from her, some of the things she had told me was not exactly stuff I wanted to know.

However on the up side I had been able to talk to my daughter and Rama didn't seem so disturbed as she had when she first came to retrieve me, oh there was still the confusion and uncertainty but I think I had helped her.

Or I hoped that I had helped her gain some balance.

I think our talk and a chance to cry had given her an opportunity to know who I really was and that I wasn't really her enemy but it also gave her time to pull herself together.

All of that was for the good because Rama would need all of her wits and training about her, because no matter what she decided she'd need it to get through her decision.

She had told me something before returning me to the prison cell and I clung to those words now for they were the ray of hope, our one chance of survival and all of it rested in her hands.

Only time would tell which way Rama would go and I had a feeling we were all in for a very long night. I also knew no matter how long the night turned out to be the morning and our execution would come all too fast for my liking.

TBC

**Melodist:** Well though you may have lurked often I am glad you finally took some time to review and let me know. Seems you got rather caught up in this story well here is another chapter, though a short one and I did manage to write a few other chapters of this story over the weekend so might update this story one more time this week. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja:** Yes, he got to hug her, talk to her and then get beaten to a pulp. Now that is what I call progress. A gratitude for your insight.


	26. Decision made

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter twenty five - Decision Made...**

**Kirra:**

I was able to gain some semblance of sanity to clear my mind, at least clear it enough that I was able to think far more clearly then I had for a while. I knew Michaelangelo had helped to some degree. I was fully aware he had given me what I needed and pointed me in the right direction.

He was my enemy, but after our talk I didn't know if I would ever think of him as an enemy again, he had seemed to care about asking me things, that father never had. We had even conversed in Japanese, the words flowing so smoothly and fluidly from him that I knew he was more then familiar with the language.

I missed hearing and speaking Japanese, only a few of the American Foot knew the language. I myself had learned to take father's lead, meaning if he spoke Japanese to me it was all right for me to do so as well, but I was never to speak it to him first as he felt that since we were in America we ought to speak English.

I had been startled to hear the turtle speak Japanese to me, oh I was fully aware that the one called Raphael could curse quite well in the language, but cursing one out and carrying on a conversation were two different things.

I recalled Michaelangelo telling me I had to torture him, it seemed almost as if he had tried to protect me from father, and that seemed so strange, no one had ever put themselves between father and whoever he sought to discipline.

I realized now I had put myself in grave danger when I ended up bawling in his arms like a baby. He could have taken advantage and stole a weapon, he could have killed me course if he tried such a move, and I could have only hoped my ninja instincts would have kicked in.

Considering the shape I was in though I doubted that.

Instead of hurting me he had sought to comfort me. I had hurt, beaten and tortured him and he had sought to reassure me and give me a friendly ear.

I didn't understand this, it made no sense.

I couldn't even brush off his words as a lie for if he had wanted to lie to me, he would have tried to convince me that by helping his family to escape that I would be accepted into their clan.

No he had told me that only Leo could decide what happened, but he also insisted that he would fight for me, even against his own family. I couldn't begin to comprehend such a move.

Why would he turn his back on his family to be with me?

His clan would not approve of his desire to be with me over them. He would lose honour and possibly be banished all so he could be with me, his enemy, a complete stranger.

None of this made any sense.

I couldn't deny I had felt a bit of a bond as we talked, his friendly easy-going attitude and warm gentle smile made it seem all to easy to unload, and yet made it all the more difficult to remain professional.

I knew I would have to choose and Michaelangelo was correct about me needing my ninja training at hand no matter which way I decided to go.

All of this added fuel to the debate if not the fire inside me, for I now had control of the fire. I wasn't as confused or conflicted as I had been previously and with a bit of meditation, the calm rational ninja returned, to weigh things out.

The ninja in me, the one I was trained to be, said, that no matter what Michaelangelo had once been to me, he would have to die for my duty to my clan and leader were clear. To not kill him would be to lose all honour.

I could make his death quick and sure, no suffering and very little pain, that was the only mercy he could expect from me.

In some ways I wished it could be otherwise for both of us, but if wishes were horses we'd all ride like kings, and some wishes are never meant to be. We were enemies but I knew in my heart I would always be thankful for that brief moment in time when an enemy had offered a hand of friendship and asked nothing in return.

There was no turning back.

_' Don't be too hasty, you can still change your mind in favour.'_ The inner voice whispered.

It hadn't been stilled as of yet, in spite of everything else.

Nothing would change. I knew my duty.

**Michaelangelo:**

I sat in my shackles, my carapace against the wall, holding tight to the conversation I had shared with Rama, there had been so much more I had wanted to ask of her, so much more I wanted to know.

I longed to tell my brothers that Rama and I had actually talked, but I knew my brothers wouldn't believe it, they had seen my fresh wounds and all of them assumed that Rama had let loose her anger on me.

Besides I couldn't risk the guards learning and with the knowledge our execution wasn't far off, it was highly likely that they would be attuned to any mental messages passed between us.

Before Rama had returned me to the prison hold she had told me, " I don't know if I will help you or not. I make no promises. If I decide I will do it, I will come into the prison hold stand in the alcove for a moment or two then leave again. Other wise you won't see me until morning."

At least I thought I did have a chance to talk to her, I mean really talk one on one and better yet I had been able to hold her in my arms.

I wondered if Rama got the chance if she would return to Japan, I had detected her longing, the deep desire she had to return to what, to her must seem like home. Yukio could give her Japan. I couldn't.

I could cook Japanese foods for her, maybe decorate a part of the sewer up with Japanese are but that was the closest thing I could do. I decided right then and there, if she helped us, that I would do that for her.

I hoped she would choose to help us, but I was aware that it was her choice to make. I knew we might all be able to rally and fight our way free if the opportunity arose, but we were all weak from torture, blood loss, lack of food and other essentials, that we wouldn't get very far with out some help on our side. Help that was stronger and at the moment more capable then we were.

I wondered what the odds were of Rama helping us, yes she was programmed to obey Yukio but I also knew the desire to survive was a strong and powerful influence, so it all came down to if her will to survive was stronger then her **need** to obey.

Rama had also learned that Yukio had a son, now this was clearly top secret information, so protected that she had only become aware of it. Personally I didn't know what sort of woman would have Yukio's child, perhaps it was an arranged marriage but I hadn't even heard of Yukio being married.

Rama had to know what that son meant; she had to realize Yukio's son was his true heir. Even the way that Rama had said " Father has a son…" had been said in such a way, that she implied a threat connected to the son. So Rama had to be aware of just where she stood.

Yukio had played a masterful game indeed, he had nothing to lose when he captured Rama, by seeing if she could be turned to his own use, if he could make her forget, then he could have someone to run interference protecting him and his true heir. If Rama died or refused to give us up he still had his son.

Not only that Yukio had the benefit of beating Rama up when ever he became upset about something or for the tiniest infraction, I was sure that Rama had suffered every time we had gotten the better of him.

_Oh please Rama, let me see you before morning, at least give me hope that you are considering getting us out alive. _I pleaded inwardly.

I was tired of being in chains, tired of waiting when I wanted to act, and I knew the more time that passed the less chance we had of escaping.

I didn't know how long I had been waiting for her to put in an appearance when I thought I saw her, it was brief, so much that I wasn't sure if I really had seen it or not. Perhaps I had just drifted off and my mind had conjured her in a state that lay between dreams and the waking world.

I started to keep track of the time, mentally counting minutes, for it was Rama she ought to return fairly quickly. I continued until I realized it had been well over an hour since I had thought I had seen her. I then gave up my shoulders slumping.

Then she came in, all the way in, I noticed right away that she was in control now but I could see the strain in her eyes and posture where the conflict had taken its toll from her.

" Master Sekora demands all of the prisoners be taken to room twelve A for one last lesson" she informed the guards crisply, without even looking my way.

If she truly had been here before, then this might be part of her plan, then again I wouldn't put it past Yukio for one last round of torture before killing us all.

" All of the prisoners but…" One of the guards started to protest.

" You wish to go against Master Sekora's orders?" She inquired arching an eye ridge, " What are you afraid of?" She sneered, " It is clear they are far too weak to fight much." She turned heading toward the alcove with a determined walk " However if you wish I will contact Master Sekora and let him know…"

The guard shook his head " There is no need of that Kirra, we will help prepare the prisoners" the guard interrupted.

She nodded her head " I thought so" she smirked.

I still wasn't sure what was going on and Rama wasn't giving much of a clue either. I would just have to wait.

" I will handle Karena, one wrong move from any of the prisoners and she will be the first to die." Rama hissed as she shot a scathing look our way.

I sensed Leo's immediate concerns and sent him a quick comforting message, _' I think she might be trying to help us Leo.'_

I saw Leo give a negative shake of his head as if denying my message as the guards prepared us.

As we travelled from the prison to the room, Rama stayed close to Karena and if any of us so much as twitched, Rama acted as if she would do harm to Leo's wife, then shoot us dark venomous looks as if to make us behave through sheer intimidation tactics.

We entered a very large practice room, there was all sorts of weapons hung on racks and hooks, there was a cupboard that probably held smaller weapons and supplies. Other then that and the mats the room was bare.

_' Oh Rama you **are **helping us.'_ I almost cheered at the thought. I was sure of it now Rama had decided to help us!

" Where is Master Sekora?" One of the guards asked.

" I am sure he will be along any time. **Now!**" she snapped the last word and had a leg up, to do a high powered kick to the head.

Leo and I both picked a guard and knocked them out quickly as possible. Rama had taken the key from the guard she had knocked out and she released me from, the restraints before handing me the key to free the others.

She began clamping our discarded restraints on the guards, as well as using rope to ensure they would cause no further trouble.

" Grab what supplies you want or feel you may need and can make use of. There are some belts in the cupboard. I also took the liberty of placing some energy bars and drinks in there for all of you." She stated as she began to gag the guards.

" Can we **Trust **her?" Aiden demanded sharply.

" We don't have much choice at the moment Aiden. It is either trust her or stay here" Leo replied uneasily.

I could sense that he wasn't to sure of Rama's motivation but he wasn't going let a good thing pass him by either. After all this was our one and only chance to get out of here, and even if we died trying to escape, it would be faster and better then any thing Yukio might have planned for us.

I grabbed a belt and a pair of chucks. Along with an energy drink and bar which I began to make use of immediately, I strolled over to where Rama sat by the Foot guards her head slightly bowed.

" Thank you Rama. But are you sure about this?"

" No not really" she confessed giving me a pained uncertain look, " But father will torture and kill me for even the little I have done so far." She swallowed hard. " Don't bother thanking me until we are all out alive" she declared as she trembled and I saw a flicker of something in her eyes.

Great!

She was in control but that control seemed minimal at best and this wasn't exactly shaping up to be a fantastic escape by any means, but then again we had no choice other then to work with what we had.

TBC 

**Lunar Ninja**: What you want her to not beat and torture Mike, ah but then would he have made such an impression on her. Isn't that more important? Plus without that torture they might not be where they are now. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Well there is taking advantage of a situation, and taking advantage of a situation. Mike's way might have worked for the best in the long run but only time will tell. Yes Mike had very good reason to request that torture session. This is chapter twenty-five so there are six chapters including epilogue. A gratitude for your insight.


	27. chapter Twenty Six: Running on a whim

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Six - Running on a whim**

**Kirra:**

I had somehow come to the conclusion that no matter what happened I was going to die, so I decided to choose my own death. If, I was going to die in the next twenty-four hours I wanted it to be in battle, not lingering in my father's hands.

Coming to that conclusion and setting things into motion turned out to be two very different things for I knew I was going against every thing that I considered honourable. I was breaking my vow, betraying my clan, and I was just so afraid of what father might do to me.

I was almost willing to accept that I was being paranoid, that even with all the secrets father kept from me, and the lies he told me he wouldn't, couldn't kill me. I was just being extremely paranoid about father killing me with the rest of the enemies, but that inner voice refused to stay silent.

The inner voice pestered and badgered me, refusing to take no for an answer, refusing to accept any excuse I came up with.

So somehow someway I found myself suddenly walking the path of a traitor, willing to help those I had once called family. A family, I might add, that was no longer mine and would be just as willing to kill me as those I now turned against.

I was agitated and so were they, neither of us was really at ease with the other, there was no sense of trust either but for a short time at least we would have to rely on one another if we were to all get out alive.

Well, get them out alive, if I could.

I watched them grab equipment and make use of the food and drink bolting it down in large mouthfuls.

Each of the adult turtles picked their specialty as well as stocking up on smaller weapons, like the dart, daggers and shuriken. They tested their weapons with simple katas trying to ease the stiffness from arms and legs that had to ache from lessons and long periods of immobility.

I saw the young girl choose a four foot jo staff and Ryu, as I sort of expected went for a katana, but Leonardo was quick to over rule the boy.

" Take the wakizashi son. It will be easier to handle with your one arm broken" He insisted he was standing with one arm around Karena talking to her in low whispers.

I strode over towards them " You best grab something too Karena" I declared.

Leonardo cut between her and I, trying his best to strike an intimidating and imposing figure, giving me a baleful stare out of the one eye that was swollen shut. " She doesn't know how to handle any weapons."

" Of all the stupid idiotical. What kind of a Baka are you?" I snapped at him, " The condition you are in we could use extra help. Did you believe she would never be threatened without one of you nearby to protect her?" I fumed. " Your desire to play hero might be the death of her tonight."

I was angry with him and wasn't about to hide it, he wasn't the leader of me, besides I had expected the great leader to have had a bit more sense then **that!**

" Karena knows hand to hand but she never was interested in learning weapons" Leonardo stated calmly.

I grunted in disdain and went over to where the staffs were and grabbed hold of one, " Tonight she carries a weapon even if she can't handle it. It might save her life" I insisted tossing the weapon towards them and Leo caught it in his hands before passing it to his wife.

" What is the plan Leo?" I heard Donatello ask.

I snorted, I knew he turned to Leonardo out of familiarity but still it was foolishness to do so now.

" How can he make a plan when he has no idea what he is up against or where he is even at?" I countered in scoffing tone.

" We've done it before and if we wanted your help we'd kick ya…" Raphael began.

" Without **my** help you'd still be in the cell and awaiting your execution and I can put you back there" I reminded him sharply, " Don't think I won't do it either. As far as I am concerned that is still an option." I reminded him sharply glaring at each of them by turn to let them know clearly how I felt, " The best bet you have of getting out of here is for you to follow my lead."

Raph snarled but Leonardo gave him a sharp look and he fell silent, Leo looked at me nodded his head.

" Just down the hall is one of father's many secret passages, that are used quite frequently by the Elite and father. The one down the hall leads to the office area on ground level, from there it isn't far to the back door, and access to the sewers" I tossed my head and sighed, " If we go that way we might only have to battle through the office area, that way you can conserve energy."

Leonardo glanced my way " Is there any other way out?"

" We can fight our way past the Foot soldiers to the office area then fight our way through there to escape. Do you think you can hold up to intense fighting?" I asked, " Either that or we can go up for a rooftop escape still fighting all the way and most likely hit an ambush on the roof. If we go for the passage I can hopefully send any Foot Soldiers off on a wild goose chase on this floor, but it is a trick to be used sparingly." I swallowed a bit " The Foot can sometimes be a bit slow, far too used to taking orders, but the Elite and father are different it would be game over if we run into them." I stressed the last bit " I will guide you out and do my best to get you out alive but I promise nothing. After all, ask yourselves how much does your life mean to you?"

" You know Leo they might not be expecting a roof top escape," Donatello suggested as he took a large swallow of his drink.

I could see that Leonardo was considering that option so I decided to step in " Fighting up against the enemy is harder then fighting down. The Foot can attack anywhere between here and the exit" I reminded them quickly, " Can Karena jump rooftops in her condition? I doubt that any of you would be up to packing her right now. Still" I paused and smirked at Leonardo " Your call."

Leonardo seemed to reflect on what had been said for only the briefest of moments before coming to his decision " We will go by the secret passage."

I nodded, it really was the safest route but safe or not I still had the feeling that we were all walking into a trap, then again almost any path we took tonight would lead to a trap. I was expecting to see father anywhere and everywhere.

I knew it was physically impossible for father to be everywhere at once, but he might give that illusion, after all father knew the quickest and easiest route was to go down to the offices, so he would be there, he also knew the turtles weren't strong enough for intense battle. However I had a feeling if we had opted to escape by the roof father would be waiting for us above.

I knew what I was, I knew what I was doing, and I knew I would pay for my crimes of treason, for losing honour but it seemed that my choice was made and I just had to see it all through.

" I'll go check that the way is clear," I told them as I slipped out of the door.

I hadn't gone far when I spotted a handful of anxious Foot come bustling towards me " Kirra the prisoners have escaped…"

" I have heard. I have all ready searched and secured all the practise rooms with weapons, go back that way and keep looking" I ordered sharply, " if you see anything sound the alarm, the more of us on hand the less chance the turtles have of getting away. Don't try to be heroic and lose us everything. Now move it!" I barked.

I waited until they hustled away in the other direction before returning to the practice room where the others waited.

" It is clear at the moment, but the alert has gone out that you have escaped, so father knows you're free. The fact that he hasn't contacted me tells me, that he may suspect I have turned against him. He is probably waiting below for all of us." I admitted trying not to squirm with unease or discomfort.

" We stick to the plan" Leonardo insisted, " lead us to the passage."

His last words sounded far too much like an order to me so I snarled at him " Let us get one thing straight, I am a lone ninja now. I have no clan and no leader. I am a ghost ninja. I don't take orders from you."

With that said we made our way cautiously out into the hallway and towards the secret panel, which lead the way to our escape. As I neared the passage I got the others to stay hid in the shadows while I, opened the door to the hidden area.

No one was waiting in the darkened passage to attack us and I couldn't see any one in the darkness of the cramped passage beyond, satisfied that it was safe I gestured for the others to follow.

All of them entered the corridor moving quickly and quietly as possible, Raphael brought up the rear and he shut the panel door enclosing us all into pitch blackness of the narrow corridor.

" Any other doors in or out of this squeeze box?" I heard Michaelangelo whisper from somewhere behind me.

" No, and due to how close of space we are in I don't think we have to fear any attack after all there is barely room for us to move forward. It is when we leave here that the fight will begin." I whispered back.

Raph huffed " Maybe this is how Yukio plans to execute us all."

I moved slowly hoping that if I took my time that father, might decide that we had gone a different way, of course father probably had people ready to report on what direction we were heading in.

He knew we were coming, I knew he was waiting at the other end. That thought was enough to make me question whether I was doing the right thing or not, of course it was too late to back out now. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, knowing I had to concentrate and prepare on what waited for us.

" You okay Rama?" Michaelangelo asked softly his voice full of concern.

He seemed very aware of my doubts and uncertainties and I could feel him trying to mentally bolster my confidence and spirits.

_Okay? How could he even ask that? How could I answer it?_ I wondered to myself.

I knew what was happening and I was more terrified then I had been in my entire life. Yet I reminded myself that this had truly been my own choice.

" I'm okay. I hope you are all ready because this is where the fun begins" I replied.

I opened the passage door and as I expected just beyond stood father, Kuma and many of the other Elite soldiers. Father arched an eyebrow before scowling at me.

I felt my blood turn cold and I would have stepped back if I wasn't aware of the other turtles behind me quickly exiting the passage so they could be ready for battle, they drew their weapons and stood in defensive postures in a semi –circle behind me.

" Kirra" father hissed a sneer on his face, " How **dare **_you_ betray me after everything that **I** have done for you?" he demanded sharply.

I let out a strangled squeak and I trembled in fear, my heart began pounding hard and fast under my plastron. Somewhere in my mind I heard someone, or something telling me what an ungrateful and unworthy child I was. How I deserved to be beaten severely for my crime.

I shut my eyes not wanting to hear this now, not wanting to see his displeasure and anger because I knew what it meant.

I realized then that I really wasn't ready for this battle.

TBC

**Melodist: **This story is closer to over then you may think, about five chapters left in total, though there is a sequel called " A Sense of Family" which I plan on starting the rewrite for as soon as I finish this rewrite and " The Legacy" rewrite. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja: **Much as Raph might have it out for Rama he also wants to be out of Foot headquarters and alive. Once he is out then he can deal with Rama at his leisure. Trust me there is still conflict and in the sequel Raph really has problems with Rama. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser:** Now what? Well it seems they must all get out alive and the odds of it happening aren't that good, of course it also depends on if Rama will stick to her choice now that it is made, or how well she sticks to it that is. A gratitude for your insight.


	28. chapter twenty Seven: Battle Engaged

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Seven - Battle Engaged**

**Michaelangelo: **

Soon as Rama saw Yukio, all her confidence vanished into thin air. I sensed her fear and rising panic and heard a strangle whimper escape her throat.

It made me realize, even more now, how much she was still trapped and held by him. She wasn't free of his power that he used to keep her subservient to him. It had clearly taken a great deal for Rama to do, even what little she had done, for us to this point.

I dropped a hand on her shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze " I'm with you girl. I'll keep my promise to you every step of the way, but remember you are not a little girl anymore you are a powerful kunoichi and the only power **he** has is what you give him" I told her softly, " You don't have to listen to him any more."

Yukio laughed, " That is where you are wrong she must listen to me because she is **my** daughter and she disobeyed me so that now I must send her to be lessoned." He hissed, " perhaps Kirra will be happier back in the lab where I got her."

I could hear Rama's breath quickening but she suddenly found her voice " I'm not Kirra that is a damn lie. My whole life has been a lie. How am I to find honour in that?" Rama demanded, then she took a deep breath and announced, " I'm Ramiela and you know it too."

I felt her body tremble under my hand and I also felt the surge of energy that came, when she spoke the name I had given her with great conviction.

Yukio curled his lip and gestured to the Elite and the few Foot soldiers to attack, Rama met them full on with us just a moment or two behind her. The office area wasn't that open so it made for cramped quarters for fighting in, but it also meant there was less risk of the Foot circling around and attacking us from the rear.

At least for the moment, there was the sound of metal connecting with metal or wood each of us concentrating on the soldiers ahead of us, or with in close striking range of our own weapons.

I saw Rama glancing around and then she turned yelling to Raphael who was occupied with some soldiers of his own, " Raphael the Elite guard going after Leonardo, he is the one who killed the woman and child when we invaded."

Raph's head jerked up as he glanced Leo's direction, the woman and child had of course been Raph's wife and youngest, he let out a sound that seemed more of a roar then a yell, as he lunged that way. He knocked or tossed any soldier out of his way, as he headed towards the one that he wanted.

Rama smiled a bit, then she dropped back to take a position close to where Raph had been before, so that she was close to protect Karena and the twins but also in a position to come to our aid as we needed.

In reality that position was a good one for Rama to take, as she could come to our assistance whenever we might start to falter, as adrenaline wore down and our bodies grew tired from battle. Yes we were skilled fighters, but we weren't exactly in top shape at the moment.

I forgot my own pain and aches as I whipped my chucks to the left and right to block strikes or hit at unprotected areas.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye Raphael ram his sai into the Elite's belly and the soldier fell.

Rama laughed, it was a sound as cold and sinister as her adopted father's sounds of mirth. " Yukio seems, you have lost your son," She mocked as if goading him.

" Whose next?" Raph growled waiting for another taker and some foot soldier quickly obliged him.

First blood and first death was ours and such things often had a great psychological effect in the outcome of any battle.

I saw a spear being lunged in my direction and I wrapped a chuck around the shaft of the weapon hoping to dislodge it from the owner's hands, but the Elite on the other end knew what I was up to and compensated by shifting position and giving a sharp pull, dragging me close enough to allow him a side kick that connected with my plastron, almost knocking me over.

Then I noticed Yukio entering the fray, he was heading straight for Rama.

I knew the effect he had on her and I knew that Rama wasn't going be able to face him in battle and win. Of course Yukio knew if he got rid of her it might be easier to kill us off. After all he could kill Rama, Karena the twins and then us, like a set of dominoes all set up to fall in a swirling pattern, all one had to do was hit that first one and stand back to watch the show.

The idea of Rama facing Yukio filled me with an extra burst of energy and desire to get to her **fast!**

I replaced one nunchuk in my belt and withdrew a small throwing dagger; I tossed the knife towards the soldier I was fighting. The Elite made a move to block and send it off its trajectory, but in that moment his concentration was slightly distracted and off of me. I used that instant to act tossing a second dagger and disarming him.

The fact his weapon had been ripped from his hands startled him, the knife finding its mark was his final mistake.

By now Yukio was closing in on Rama, and of course during the fight we had, been drawn slightly apart so while we were close to one another we still had soldiers surrounding us in almost every direction.

I knew that Yukio was going get to Rama first and that was the last thing I wanted. I looked around frantically and noticed that Leo seemed closest to Rama so I yelled over the melee to him " Leo, Yukio. Karena and Rama!"

Leo nodded enough to let me know he had heard, but in that moment the Foot seemed to rally, effectively cutting Leo off, and he had to deal with them, before he could get near his wife and children.

Damn it all! This did not look good for us right now.

**Ramiela:**

As far as I was concerned the woman and children were the weak links, the girl for all of her shy introverted ways was a better fighter then Ryu was and I had a feeling that she had probably spent a great deal more time on her studies, and learned the lessons of ninjitsu faster then her impulsive brother. Still I knew they lacked the discipline of facing an opponent in battle and with the intense fighting going on it was clear that they would fall first.

True, with the male turtles badly weakened they probably weren't much of a match for the Elite either but they were more skilled in battle, and they had something worth fighting for.

I knew it came down to this, how badly did they want to live? From the way the male turtles were fighting they strongly desired to continue living.

I used my katana to kill one soldier barely noticing the blade stained with blood as I moved the sword to block another strike, I was using both swords to kill where I could and cause severe crippling injuries where I could not kill.

I sensed father's approach more then I saw him but as he drew near the other Foot backed off, allowing him to take their place.

I felt my insides churn, as my heart began to pound as I stared into his dark eyes.

**Traitor! Deceiver!** My mind screamed, and a part of me longed to drop to my knees and beg forgiveness for my lapse, the only reason I think I managed to keep my feet under me was the fact that I knew how I'd be forgiven.

" Kirra!" he hissed.

" Ramiela!" I responded though not half as sharp as I had meant it to be.

I knew I was going die, I had all ready accepted that fact, for I knew before I started that this would be my last battle. I knew it in my heart and my soul but I refused to die living my life a lie.

I knew I had nothing really to live for, not any more at any rate, but those I fought for and with did have something and since I had thrown in with them for this battle, I was going do my best to not just throw my life away. To have honour in death, I had to insure my death was, at the very least, honourable.

We stood before each other and I did my best to show no weakness before him, but I admit it was impossible for me to act self-assured too. I know I bowed my head slightly and I think I took an involuntary step or two backwards.

" Shinu ga hangyaku-sha" ( Die traitor) he spat out.

" Motte kuru sore wade" (Bring it on) I responded with false bravado, " Usotsuki" (Liar)

I knew that I was goading him into attack and this was not necessarily a wise thing to do, but I had all ready chosen many foolish paths to walk on this day, so really what was one more?

Father unsheathed a katana of his own, a fine piece of workmanship well crafted and honed, it was a superior weapon in very skilled hands, and he swung it with practiced ease.

In spite of the part that seemed to scream at me that I shouldn't be doing this, I readied myself for father's first blow.

This was my father, the man who had done so much for me, how could I possibly be taking a stand against him in this way, or in any way? How could I be so disloyal?

It was wrong, so wrong!

Yet I knew it couldn't be stopped or prevented now.

I met the first blow deflecting a quick strike but I was sure that father sensed my fears and doubts about confronting him. Nor did it help me to feel the sudden fear and panic rising in Karena and her two children, I knew they would be of no help to me, even if they tried father would kill them.

I glanced around for a possible source of help, not that I expected any of the male turtles to come to my aid, but they would most likely come to protect the weaker members of their clan. I doubted Leonardo would permit his wife to be harmed, no he had to play hero for her.

I could see that Leonardo and Michaelangelo were both close but at the moment otherwise occupied, which meant I would have to be on my own. I turned all my attention onto my father knowing I could not allow myself to become distracted.

Father was doing his best to slip his katana past my defences but so far my blade continued to meet his the ringing of the metal as it clashed time and again sounded in my ears.

At the moment, my only saving grace was my ability to hone in on my opponent's moves, before they made them, and the knowledge I bore from sparring with father numerous times in the past.

I blocked each blow, tried to feint and attack but he was ready with a strong counter attack move that pushed me back. Suddenly he withdrew his katana and stood there his dark orbs penetrating into my gaze, and then he made a move with his sword.

It came so quickly, I did my best to block it only he switched the trajectory and as my katana blade came down, his went up and bit into my right arm just below my shoulder. I felt the sudden stab of pain as blood splattered but I refused to cry out.

That strike, however, lucky or skilled on his part, was enough to shake my confidence. I knew I was way out of my depth; it was rare when I could beat father in even a friendly sparring match, and this was life and death. I started to falter and his blade seemed to connect more often, not badly but I knew I was making foolish mistakes and it seemed all I could do was retreat.

Father gave me one of his cold dark sinister smiles as he began to press the advantage, as I backpedalled hurriedly before him. I had a feeling he was very slowly going chop me into bits with his sword, if only for his enjoyment.

Suddenly another sword was against father's katana, and father was forced to give ground or deal with a sharp blow of a katana blade.

Leonardo glanced at me just briefly " Get my family out of here" he growled before focusing everything he had on father.

" Come on Rama, we have to get out of here and we need your help to do it girl" Michaelangelo insisted, " Most of the Soldiers here are down or out for the count" he declared as he knocked one soldier out with his chuks.

I looked around startled to see that he was right, had I battled father that long?

The girl looked towards her father " But dad how is he…?" she began faltering.

" Mike I am **not** leaving Leo" Karena declared.

" You don't have a choice Karena, we have to get out of here now before the reinforcements arrive." Michaelangelo explained.

I knew he was right but I could also see that Karena was not about to leave her husband behind, not, when she knew he was not likely to make it out alive.

I knew Leonardo was right but I caught Karena's frantic worried gaze and told her in all sincerity " You might not believe me Karena, but I promise you that I will come back and help him as soon as possible after you are safe." I vowed.

I knew this was Leonardo's choice, as Leader of his clan it was almost expected of him, and he was ninja like I was, which meant he had a right to chose his death just as I had a right to chose mine. I still had another promise to keep the one about trying to get them all out alive, and I meant it. Once his family was safe I was sure Leonardo would gladly allow me to take his place; that was if he was still alive.

" But you must hurry now Karena for every second counts."

I could see her indecision and her fear but saw her nod her head in agreement. I smiled as we started to fall back heading towards the rear exit leaving Leonardo and father locked in mortal combat with one another.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser:** Not too complicated of a fight scene, just broken up between a few different chapters to prolong suspense. I find fight scenes are hard to write to begin with and when told from first person view, it tends to be even more of a challenge. He, he LOL you calling Rama, Ramica. Ah, getting it together and keeping it together are two different things. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja:** ( writing review with a frosty cold screamer close at hand. Slurp! Mmm)

Sequel is a done deal and still posted, at least until I start the rewriting of it, which won't be until this one and The Legacy are finished. ( **Slurp, aaaah soooo gooood.)** So the way you read you might have it done before I start the rewrite. Cliffys are an author's right, as they keep you readers coming back for more. ( Hey, what happened to my **SCREAMER! Ramiela!)** A gratitude for your insight. Excuse me I have to kill a turtle girl.

**Red Turtle:** I do my best to portray the conflict and turmoil Rama is going through. LOL the second one to confuse the author with the OC. I guess that is what I get for having Rama's name so close to my own. A gratitude for your insight.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight: Final Decision

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Eight - Final Decision**

**Ramiela:**

I lead the way to the exit, I knew it was a short hop from there to the manhole cover but I sensed an ambush, most likely from the rooftop, though I knew for a fact there would be a few Foot Soldiers hidden in the sewers as well.

" I sense trouble it feels safe but…" my voice trailed off.

" Expect a welcoming committee" Don finished for me.

" Well we knew we couldn't get away that easy, but the sewers are our territory" Raph declared emphatically, " Don if you can cover me while I get the manhole cover" he offered.

" Sure thing Raph" Donatello grinned not even letting him finish what he was going to say, he then turned " Mike can you cover Karena and the children?"

" No problem Don, Rama and I can do that easy." Michaelangelo agreed.

I watched as Don and Raph made a break for the manhole cover, we waited until the cover was off, while doing so I realized that I didn't mind Mike making decisions for me, but when Leonardo tried to order me I resented it.

" All right Karena, kids" Mike whispered, " it is time to leave this place."

As we made our way out into the open a barrage of arrows from up above rained down upon us, but between his chuks and my katana we managed to knock most of the arrows that neared us out of harms way.

Raphael jumped down into the sewer, and we sent the children followed by Karena, Michaelangelo made his move to head down, when an arrow pierced into his arm, he yanked the weapon free from his flesh, the blood running freely down his arm.

I hoped the weapon hadn't been poisoned tipped, if it had been then Mike would start to feel the effects any time soon, depending on how fast or slow of a poison had been used. I knew most ninja could build up immunities to fight such things, but the Foot was fond of using rare poisons that made it harder for many to use such tactics on. Besides that the male turtles, in their weakened condition, could easily be susceptible to what normally wouldn't harm them in any way.

There was nothing to be done for it other then to hope the Foot hadn't bothered to use poison **this **time.

I would hate for him to be the one to die, if I was going lose any of the turtle clan in our bid for freedom, I didn't want it to be him.

I followed after Mike with Don bringing up the rear and replacing the manhole lid.

We were expecting an attack and weren't too surprised when a dozen Foot soldiers came upon us just moments from where we had entered.

Usually it would be fairly easy to dispatch that number but the male turtles were wearing out. I could see it in the slumped forms, the way they brought their weapons up to face the newest challenge.

My own arm was bleeding profusely, where father had struck me, and wielding both katanas was difficult so I decided to make a quick switch, trading my swords for my sais.

I noticed the twins however seemed to be more in their element when fighting against the regular Foot soldiers, even Ryu managed to cut down one solider, with their help we managed to make good on our escape.

As we went further into the sewers we ran into an occasional small group of Foot but it wasn't long before they no longer seemed to pop up with any regularity, nor could I sense any of them from down here. I began to believe that with all the twist and turns we had managed to ditch the rest.

I smiled they were more or less safe at this point and I knew I didn't have to go any further with them.

" I'm heading back now," I announced to all of them.

Michaelangelo was quick to protest " Rama no, Leo will know where to find us."

" I promised Karena, and all of you, that I would go back for him, and I'd do everything in my power to get you **all** free" I reminded him, " I may be a hangyaku-sha but I'm not at usotsuki" I spat the words out with vile distaste, before moving as fast as I could back the way we had come. (Hangyaku-sha. Rebel or traitor. Usotsuki liar.)

I knew Leonardo might all ready be dead, we had wasted about ten to fifteen minutes of time getting free of the Foot, I doubted Leonardo could last much longer on his own, that was, **if** he was still alive.

My heart pounded fast as I made my return, instinctively cutting out the long passages that we had taken to throw any Foot soldiers off, I dreaded going back but I refused to die a coward's death.

There would be no honour in going out that way.

Strangely enough I encountered no Foot soldier on my return home and that both worried and concerned me, but at least it meant that I didn't have to slow down.

I returned up the ladder into the alley behind the Foot building, I cast a quick glance to the rooftops and didn't notice anyone up there either. I replaced the sewer lid. I wondered over this very unnatural turn of events, which had no enemies moving to attack me something was very wrong.

I entered the Foot headquarters with a great deal of trepidation and could hear the soft sound of metal clanging on metal telling me that Leonardo was, still alive, at least for the moment.

I could sense excitement and anticipation in the air, mixed with a tinge of hatred. I moved cautiously down the back hall to the main reception area, and that is where I found father and Leonardo, still locked in combat.

On the other side of them were the Foot, all standing waiting patiently, to see if father alone could vanquish the turtle leader, if he couldn't do it then he was not fit to lead the Foot clan.

I didn't understand this at all, Leonardo in his weakened state ought to be no match for father's superior fighting abilities. How he had managed to survive this long was a mystery in itself.

The inner voice whispered, _' He's grown soft and weak. He hasn't been keeping his skills up but he was able to make it seem as if he was stronger then what he was.'_

No, father beat me often in sparring matches, if he was that weak I would have beaten him far more frequently then I was able to.

_' You could have but you didn't believe it. You let him beat you. You are stronger then he is in battle'_ the voice assured me, _' He made sure you stayed submissive to him, even in battle, he fostered the illusion after all if he let you beat him too often, then you might get the idea to rebel'_ the voice informed me, _' Face it with you to guard and protect him, did he really need his own strength?'_

I shook my head banishing that irritating voice that always seemed to be so right.

I knew what I had come here to do, but now, seeing father fighting against Leonardo I hesitated, suddenly very unsure over who I should help.

Leonardo was my enemy, so what if I finished him off?

Then again helping father defeat the turtle leader wouldn't spare me from the crimes I had committed. I knew to aid Leonardo was the worst thing I could do, perhaps father would forgive me if I disposed of the turtle leader for him. Maybe all I had gone through was a mistake and there was still a chance to correct it.

So I stood in uncertainty, not knowing what I should do or who I ought to help.

I watched as father backed Leonardo up against the receptionist desk knocking things off the desk onto the floor as he fell back.

Father's katana came in for a killing stroke and Leonardo managed to block it, pinned against the desk with father's blade bearing down upon him he knew, as I did that it was essential to use all his strength to push up against father.

Leonardo couldn't do it though. I could see his arms shaking from the strain, could see Leonardo grit his teeth grunting slightly, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead. I doubted that he would be able to free himself from father.

I shook my head, as I was still unsure what to do, who I ought to help. I cursed myself for my hesitancy; if I didn't make up my mind soon I wouldn't have a choice to make.

I plucked a throwing dagger from my belt tossing it up and over the combatants. I was hoping that it might distract father, giving Leonardo a chance to push him off.

Father must have caught the dagger's movement for he tossed his head up, easing on the pressure and strength of his upper body that was bearing down on Leonardo.

" KIRRA!" he snapped in a rage as he saw me, hatred etched clearly on his face.

Leonardo wasn't a fool, he was quick to take advantage, he used his own blade and a kick to push father back, and then he dropped down doing a low kick sweeping father's legs out from under him.

Father fell down and rolled quickly to the left to avoid a killing stroke from Leonardo's blade, but father wasn't able to finish his recovery move.

The dagger I had tossed came down landing in father's throat, blood splashed up and out as the blade hit home. Father gave a weak startled gasp and then lay still.

I winced shrinking back from the sight screaming, **" Father!"**

I knew it was too late; he was dead, though Leonardo decided to make sure of that fact by ministering another blow just to make sure.

I hadn't meant to do that; it wasn't supposed to go that way at all. How could it, how had it even happened?

All I knew was it wasn't meant to be this way.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser: **Hopefully updates on this will come quicker as I am going concentrate on getting the last few chapters of this story done. Rama was trained well, it is confidence she lacks when fighting Yukio, and he did train her well in more ways then one. A gratitude for your insight.

**Lunar Ninja: **Karena doesn't have a shell. I promise you Yukio will die sometime, after all we all die sometime. I have a feeling from the review you left here and other places you have plans for your latest story? I eagerly await an update on it then. A gratitude for your insight.


	30. chapter twenty nine: All that is left

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Twenty Nine - All that is left**

**Leonardo:**

I knew I couldn't hold Yukio off much longer, I felt the pressure he was using to bear down on me, out of the corner of my eye I caught a slight movement, and noted it was a dagger on an upward climb obviously not meant to injure either of us.

Yukio saw it and quickly glanced up looking for the perpetrator and then spat the name " Kirra" with a great deal of animosity, but his distraction gave me a moment, a chance to act and hopefully finish this match alive.

I had doubted my odds of surviving just moments ago, but I wasn't about to throw this away, I moved fast, knocking Yukio over and going for a killing blow, but he dodged the strike of my katana, but clearly he had forgotten the dagger.

The event happened so quickly as if time itself had been slowed down, and yet for me those mere seconds had been an eternity. It was over Yukio was dead.

I heard Ramiela scream, " Father!"

I shook my head, after all she had done to help us she was still a Foot soldier, the years of brainwashing and training, held true and she was still our enemy, in spite of all she had done.

I wondered, if I would now have to fight my way past her before rejoining my own family, if that was the case I really didn't stand a chance. I looked at her readying myself for the worst, prepared to go down fighting.

That was when I noticed the tears streaming down her face, the look of shock mixed with dread, the way she shook her head and mouthed the words " Sorry Father." She was in no condition to fight me. I didn't have to worry about her.

I then looked towards the Foot Soldiers who were still standing in an undecided mass. Shocked and clearly not sure what to do now without someone to take charge, but I knew this was only a momentary reprieve, fairly soon they would get angry and then they would attack, when that happened the Foot Soldiers would be quite willing to destroy both of us.

It was past time to leave. I glanced at Ramiela again wondering if she would somehow blame me for Yukio's death. I didn't trust her, far too many years had passed, she had changed so much, and all Don's talk about the programming she had received told me there wasn't much of a chance to get her back, even seeing her like this made me wonder where her true allegiance lay. With Yukio dead she could take his place.

I knew if I left her though that Mike would never forgive me. Besides that was the fact, that, it was Ramiela who had insured we all got out alive and I felt honour bound to get her out alive if I could.

" Ramiela it is time to go. The Foot will kill you." I whispered.

She gave me a vacant stare " Father?" she whispered softly, almost breathing the word.

" Ramiela please!" I urged, as I sensed the Foot soldiers growing antsy.

She looked at me, then towards the Foot Soldiers and she gave a small evil twisted grin, reaching into her belt she withdrew a small hand weapon, that caused all the Foot to suddenly scatter, their reaction made me realize what weapon she held.

As I expected it was a bomb, but I didn't have a chance to stop her from arming it or tossing it towards the quickly vanishing Foot Soldiers.

**Damn!**

She was going kill all of us, it was clear she didn't care about her own life, and she was quite willing to take anyone else around her.

" Rama come on. **Now!"** I ordered.

She gave an indifferent shrug but followed me quickly out of the building, we hit the ground as we entered the back alley as the explosion began, but while there was the noise and a slight tremor the building remained standing and I began to wonder if the bomb had been a dud.

I didn't waste any time worrying about it and decided to put as much room as possible between the Foot base and myself as possible, so I dived for the welcome comfort of the dark, damp concrete subterranean tunnels, with Rama following behind me. I sensed that she was there, more then noticed her presence.

I knew it might take a while before the Foot soldiers regrouped to come after us, but to be on the safe side I decided to take a longer route to our emergency area, where I knew the family waited for me.

Rama stayed behind, she didn't speak and moved silently. I half expected her to run me through with her katana at any moment and kept my senses trained on letting me know if she got too close to me for comfort.

" Leonardo"

I turned to acknowledge her soft tone.

She was standing about three feet back at a junction of sewer pipe I had left moments ago.

" I'm sure you know where your family waits for you. I must leave you here." She said quietly her voice full of regret and sorrow.

" Where are you going to go?" I wondered.

She sneered snorting slightly " Sure tell my enemy where I plan to be so he can hunt me all too easily later" She scoffed, " Does it really matter where I go from here? I am not foolish enough to believe I will ever be a part of your family or clan, just because I was once born to it." She shrugged, " I'm ninja, I'll get by" she assured me.

There was something about her defeated stance, her hollow ragged tone as she spoke, touched me. She was ninja all right, she had proved it more then once since our capture, and that thought, the silent agreement, made me realize what she might intend to do now.

" Rama you are not going commit seppuku are you?" I asked fearing that my suspicion, though delayed was correct, that it was what she intended to do.

She gave a soft smile in reply and I knew then, without her admitting or denying that it was her plan.

" I have disgraced and dishonoured not only the Foot Clan but your clan as well, the way I see it, I have but two choices before me" She explained simply, " I can wait around for your clan, or the Foot Clan to hunt me down and claim the debt of honour, or I can take matters into my own hands, and restore honour to both clans with my death." She took a deep breath, " I knew that I was going die this night, I wanted it to be in battle, but it seems fickle fate did not wish to grant me such a death, but I can arrange it none the less. I have the right to chose my time of death and the way I die."

I shook my head, knowing I had to stop her, " I can't go back to Mike and tell him that I left you to commit seppuku" I protested, at the moment at a loss to say any thing else.

" Then tell him that I died saving your life, tell him I chose to leave, tell him I wanted to go my own way. I don't really care what you tell him, tell him whatever you **damn **well please," She declared sharply, then her voice grew icy cold " But I will **Not** be hunted like an animal for the rest of my days, and I refuse to die in disgrace. This is my right as a ninja. It is the path I have chosen for myself."

" Rama I can't lie to my brother, don't ask me to, nor will I be able to face him with the truth. Mike will never forgive me and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either. I am sure that there is some other way for you to gain honour back without going to such extremes…" I rambled on quickly hoping only to stall her.

I stopped as she drew a katana, her gaze becoming hard, " Don't lie to me Leonardo. I've had more then enough lies to last a life time" she spat.

I sighed, I didn't want her throwing her life away, she was still young and she had a great deal of potential, if it wasn't for the fact she was so messed up I might be willing to try.

It came to me that if she really **wanted** to commit seppuku she could have said nothing just slipped off quietly and left me none the wiser.

If she had done that I would never have found her, might not have even found her body, though she may have chosen a place where she knew the Foot and we turtles might go, if only to prove to us that honour had been restored to our respective clans.

Or perhaps she had mentioned it just out of politeness, as if to assure me that we had nothing to fear from her any more.

Or perhaps, she had told me because she didn't want to die and was hoping I could offer her something more, but I knew if I offered her such a thing, it would have to be believable and above all else it would have to restore honour. Seppuku she felt was required of her at this point, and possibly the only path she could see of bringing back lost honour, but if she had a different path then maybe she would chose life over death.

Meanwhile I was tired, exhausted both mentally and physically. My body hurt all over, and I just longed to be back with my family, hold my wife, reassure and comfort my children, take time to grieve and recover from the long nightmare we had emerged from.

However I knew I couldn't in good conscious just turn and walk away from her, especially knowing what she planned to do. Mike had lost her years ago, he believed he had her back, if she killed herself, then Mike would never be the same.

I knew he had kept hoping Rama would help us, somewhere along the line. The fact that she had aided us in our escape had been totally unexpected, especially after Don's talks of how unlikely such an event would be.

Don had assured all of us, numerous times that her programming to obey Yukio ran deep, it had been proven to us on more then one occasion. That she was an enemy to us, that had been painstakingly clear to all of us, except Mike, and even now, her desire to commit seppuku spoke of where her true allegiance lay.

I knew I had to come up with something fast, but my mind wasn't up to such thoughts, I knew I needed time to think, only she wasn't going give it to me, because she wanted something firm. **Now!**

" Why don't you come back with me?" I suggested quickly " Together we might be able to come up with a reasonable alternative that might bring you honour. If you decide that you still must do this deed, then there is no way we will be able to prevent it. We will let you go."

She looked at me with a great deal of askance but I swore I saw a tiny flicker of hope in her eyes.

" Besides, I am not going do your dirty work. You are ninja you ought to have the strength to tell Mike your self. You are a great fighter and deserve far more then ritual suicide." I urged, only hoping I was saying the right things, " Not only that you may not be as big of a disgrace as you see yourself being."

She glared at me through narrow hardened eyes silently debating my words; I waited trying not to hold my breath, as I hoped for a promising decision. The seconds dragged on and I was sure that she would say no.

Finally she shrugged, " All right, but don't try spinning any dreams for me. I know better then to believe in dreams," she murmured.

I was grateful for her acceptance, though I knew that she could slip through later, but at least, Mike wouldn't be able to hold it against me.

I knew I had only bought myself a little time, now I had to come up with something and quickly.

Perhaps it was too late to get through to her, possibly Yukio had put her through far too much for us to ever gain her back. We may never be seen as her family, for we might always be considered her enemy.

I could accept her choice for life or death, but I knew Mike would not accept it. It was more for my brother then this lost ninja of our clan, that I had offered her what I had. I wondered if Splinter would have been willing to let her go or convinced her to stay?

I didn't want to lose another member of my family, and while I didn't see Ramiela as being a member of our family any more, Mike still was.

For Mike's sake, for the small promise she had shown in getting us out of there, for the larger possibilities she held as a fighter. I owed it to her and the family to try. I would gamble and hope that it wasn't a lost cause.

TBC

**Lunar Ninja:** Ding Dong Yukio is dead, the evil Yukio is dead….okay enough of that. I love updates. Meanwhile rewrite of the Enemy is done it is just typing and posting the last two chapters, so expect it to be done by the end of this week. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser: **yes that is how Yukio died in the original, a little unexpected with the dagger doing the job, but I liked it and didn't want to mess with it. How much help remains to be seen in the sequel, which I will be starting once Legacy's rewrite is all done. A gratitude for your insight.


	31. Chapter 30: Possibilities

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Chapter Thirty – Possibilities.**

**Michaelangelo:**

I had watched Rama leave, wishing that I could keep her here with us, instead of letting her go back. I knew what could happen to her and I was afraid that, I'd never see her again.

Raph had been all set to follow after her, simply because he didn't trust her or her intentions, but Don somehow managed to convince Raph that he was in no condition to handle much more intense fighting. The fact Don was able to talk sense to Raph was proof in itself what sort of shape our hotheaded brother was in.

Besides we all knew that Leo had been quite willing to sacrifice his life to get us free, he wanted Rama with us, simply because he knew she was more able to handle any other battles that might come our way. It was a simple trade his life for all of ours and while we didn't care for it, we accepted it, though we didn't speak of it aloud. Karena was also very much aware of what Leo had done and it was clear she didn't accept it; she didn't want to lose Leo, not now. But if Raph was to head back it would make Leo's sacrifice meaningless.

I think that was probably the main reason for Raph to stay was because he wasn't going make Leo's death mean nothing. So instead he stayed he cursed and he fumed, snarling and growling and gnashing his teeth in irritation.

Karena was a very good match for him as she paced continually and glancing around anxiously for any sign of Leo reappearing.

Don sighed wearily as he sat down in the small emergency room " Relax Karena all the stress and strain isn't good for you or the baby you are carrying at the moment" he reminded her.

" Relax? How am I suppose to **_relax?_**" she shot out glaring at all of us, " My husband is out there and he might…" her voice choked up and she swallowed quickly blinking her eyes rapidly to stop the tears from falling " Oh gods, please Leo." She whispered as she wrung her hands.

" I knew I should have gone with that…" Raph began crossing his arms over his plastron. " Bet you anything she'll finish him off."

**" Raphael!"** Don and I both snapped in unison, though probably for different reasons.

Don rolled his eyes shaking his head in frustration; he was fairly tired after having all ready treated everyone's injuries with the medical supplies we had stashed here.

We had numerous emergency stashes throughout the city; all of them had some spare weapons, a bit of food, bottled water and a full emergency kit.

Don had done his best in fixing Aiden's arm, but due to the time involved between when it had been broken and now, he couldn't be sure that it would heal properly or how much use Aiden might have of his arm in the future.

After Aiden had been treated, I was feeling very ill Don judged my symptoms and gave me an antidote for the poison, which had entered my system, via the arrowhead. We knew the Foot favoured rare poisons and kept the antidotes on hand at all times.

Rule number one in war know your enemy, and that included knowing what they loved to use and how to prevent or deter it where you could.

Now all we could do was wait, but Raph had never been very good when it came to playing the waiting game.

" That's it. I am going after her," Raph decided smacking a balled fist into the palm of his hand.

"That won't be necessary Raph" Leo insisted as he came around the corner and entered the small room, he looked physically dead on his feet, like it was taking all he had to stand before us.

Karena ran up and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him " Oh Leo, you made it. I was so worried," she sobbed, then she gave him a frantic concerned look " You ever do that to me again Leonardo, I'll kill you."

Leo just smiled and pulled her closer to him kissing her firmly. Aiden and kali waited until they broke off the kiss before running to hug their father.

I was glad for all of them that Leo had made it, but I quickly looked around for Rama, I didn't see her. I was about to ask Leo where she was when I saw her round the corner a blank look on her face.

Her arm was bleeding badly not to mention the numerous smaller injuries on her body and she seemed agitated to be around us, which was understandable.

" Rama want Don to look after that arm? He's real good at doctoring."

She looked at her arm as if she didn't know she was hurt and then shrugged, " He can if he wants to. I don't really care." She mumbled.

" Rama it's all right now" I hastened to assure her.

" All right? **All right!** Father is dead and the Foot once they regroup will come after you and I both. I have no place to go, no place to be, and I have no one" She ranted, " But it is _all right!"_ she sneered the last in a menacing way.

" You killed Yukio way to go Leo?" Raph cheered as he clapped our leader across the back.

" Yukio's death was more of an accident then anything Raph and I wasn't the one who did it." Leo corrected, " Ramiela tossed a dagger I don't think she intended it to hurt anybody, but by fluke it did kill Yukio." He explained.

I winced and looked back towards Rama, no wonder she looked so stressed. It had been hard enough for her to _just_ make the decision to help us, it had been difficult for her to fight beside and aid us, especially when confronted by her adopted father, it had been a challenge to go against him and now on top of everything else she had killed Yukio. I gave a pitying shake of my head, realizing if Rama hadn't been messed up before, she sure would be when the shock wore off.

I hoped Leo wouldn't turn her away, she needed love support and understanding, most of all she needed help and she couldn't get it out on her own.

I went over to her and pulled her into my arms at first she struggled, but it wasn't that strong of a fight or long of one before she wrapped her arms around me and began to bawl.

" Holy shit!" Raph gasped behind me, " tell me I ain't seein' this."

Don shook his head, " It is impossible Mike shouldn't even be able to touch her."

Leo intense stare was on us but he just watched in silence. Aiden and Kali were unimpressed by the event.

Aiden growled, " What is **she** doing here? She doesn't belong with **us.** She isn't family she's Foot!"

" Dad she helped kill everyone" Kali protested staying close to Leo's side.

Leo kept one arm around Karena as he turned to address his children " Hold it **right** there you two. Ramiela didn't kill any of our family; she was too busy capturing us when the Foot infiltrated our home. The Elite killed our family members." Leo stressed, " Yes, I know she has threatened and has hurt us all but she was acting on orders from her Clan leader, doing only what she had been taught to do, and trained for" Leo paused giving a stern look to the children and Raph, " All she did was obey her jonin's commands. Thirdly, Ramiela used to be a member of our family before she was kidnapped by the Foot and forced to turn against us." Leo reminded them, " Yes we all suffered at Yukio's hands but it was only for a little over a week, she has lived through years" Leo shook his head and gave Rama a gentle smile, " Last but not least she saved all of our lives tonight, at great expense to herself. She returned to help me, even though she didn't need to, nor did I expect her to. She is going to need our help now" Leo declared.

I smiled gratefully, because I knew with those words that Leo might actually try to get her back into the family again, if not fully a clan member.

" As a family we are going have to discuss how much we can offer her." Leo declared.

Rama raised her head " Talk what good is that? Even I know I could never be welcomed in your pathetic clan."

" Be open to alternatives Ramiela" Leo chided.

She scowled darkly at him and pushed me away abruptly.

I shook my head realizing the way Leo was, and the way Rama was might make for some interesting problems and battles, simply because I could tell Rama didn't care for Leo. I could sense her hatred and animosity of him.

"Lets go home for now, and rest before we talk" Leo suggested.

Rama gave a short sharp barking laugh " You have no home, the Foot know about your place" she remarked her voice thick with scorn.

" That isn't the only place, there is a smaller area in the sewers that we have set up and it ought to suffice for now though the quarters will be tight until we find something else."

Don smiled as he stood up gesturing at Rama " Will you let me stitch up and bandage your arm before we go?"  
Rama shrugged, " Suit yourself" she mumbled.

….

It was some hours later we had all had a nice breakfast, well food wise that is, and were now sitting in the small living room area waiting to talk over what might come next.

Rama hadn't taken anything nor did she speak much to us, she acted more like a condemned prisoner waiting for the execution to be carried out. The only time she spoke was to hurl insults and veiled threats at family members, usually Raph who seemed quite willing to goad and provoke her with snide comments.

Now she was so agitated and so tightly strung that she plucked a sai from her belt to begin playing with it. The twins grew nervous and huddled closer together keeping a wary eye on her.

" We have had more then enough of weapons. Put it away, now!" Leo ordered her.

Rama's lip curled into a sneer " Make me!" she challenged.

" Let it be Leo, she isn't going hurt anyone with it, she is just nervous." I informed my brother, pleading with him, I knew if Raph had his weapon out to fiddle with Leo wouldn't have said a thing to him.

" I understand her fears and anxieties at the moment Mike but we all have a right to be comfortable right now." Leo stated, " For now though I will let it go" his tone had a slight threatening tone to it, implying that if she made a move to harm any one she would regret it. Leo turned to stare at her " I'd like to know what made you decide to help us?"

" I didn't want to help **all** of you" she retorted.

"Then, I take it there was at least one of us, that you wanted to help, right?"

She nodded slightly " Michaelangelo, if I could have got only him out, I would have done it. But I didn't think he would leave without the rest of you. Foot information told me that all of you would risk everything for the sake of one." She snorted and shook her head in disbelief at the prospect.

I smiled realizing I had somehow made a bigger impression on her then I had thought.

Leo grinned and nodded; I think he was pleased to hear that as well.

" So what made you decide to help Mike?" he inquired.

Rama grimaced and glanced down at her sai in her hand, " I remember a few things about all of you. I guess they are memories of my childhood, when I lived with you, but the one I remember most is Michaelangelo" She replied hesitantly, " Father wanted me to kill him and I didn't think I could do it. Father would have been very angry with me, so I…I don't really know why I did it. It just sort of happened" Rama spoke quietly.

" What do you remember about us?" Leo inquired.

Rama made a face and her fingers twiddled sending the sai spinning " I …I know Karena taught me to read and write, you were my sensei, Donatello taught me all kinds of things and Raphael he used to play fight with me" her fingers caressed her weapon, " He got me, my first sais." She brushed back a lock of hair and shifted in her chair, " It was just little bits here or there about all of you, but there was so much on Michaelangelo a great deal more. I can't explain it so please don't ask" She insisted shaking her head negatively.

" All right fair enough. But how do you feel about the rest of us then?"

" You are my enemies and you all deserve to die" Rama hissed suddenly her face contorting, " **You** most of all." She snapped pointing a finger at him.

Leo arched an eye ridge trying not to be disturbed by her venomous remark never mind the threat she had left hanging between them.

Instead he calmly turned to Don "What can you tell us Don? I know you believed that she should never have helped us, are you able to give us some insight on what we might expect from Ramiela, or if it is possible to bring her out of her Foot training?"

Don scowled, " I don't specialize in mental or psychological problems, but I'd say it is safe to assume that until Rama learns to trust and accept us, she will have relapses where she may try to hurt or kill any one of us." Don explained in his usual didactic way, " We have to try and change the programming of her brainwashing and that won't be easy to do, she has followed it for so long that we might never be able to clear it from her. There is also only two possible ways to break or over ride it" Don leaned forward in his chair as he warmed to the subject, " Either we allow her time to adjust and learn for herself, or we try to brainwash her. Being as she is older, and trained ninja now the latter is highly unlikely. However the former isn't as trustworthy."

Rama growled in irritation, " Stop speaking over me and around me like I don't exist. I'm right here!" she snapped.

Don gave a tiny apologetic smile " Sorry."

I nodded laughing " Don gets like that Rama don't take it too personally."

Don gave a small cough " I think for Rama's sake the best thing we can do is slowly build up her trust and give her a chance to see what she thinks she knows about us, and what is real about us are two different things. However Leo, in all honesty I think Ramiela will be a big problem to us because she can revert and attack us at any given moment until sufficient time has past to break that" Don insisted, " Remember what Raph was like in his teens? Well I can almost promise you Rama is bound to be worse, because when she goes after our blood in anger, she'll mean it."

" Any good news?" Leo asked simply showing no outward sign of what that information had given him.

" Well for some reason Rama does seem to trust Mike, so it could be that Mike can help make the adjustment and deprogramming period easier on everyone. Also we all know for a fact that Rama has broken it once, which means it is possible for her to continue to do so. It will just take time Leo."

Leo bowed his head and was silent for a bit as he contemplated the information, " Very well based on the information we have and on everything I have heard, this is my decision as Jonin of the clan" He turned his stare on Ramiela, " we need time to grieve those who have gone and to recuperate so during that time you will **not** be a member of our clan or our family" He declared sharply, " We will set you up a place in the sewers, you can join us for work outs sessions if you please or for meals, but how much time you will have with us and the period of separation will be based upon your behaviour towards **all **of us" Leo insisted sharply, " If you become too much of a threat then we will run you out and banish you from us. Is that understood?"

She nodded as if she expected that much.

" If you behave well in time a year or two down the road we can see where we are at and make any changes from there, I am hoping that somehow we can bring you back into this family again, though I don't know if you will ever be clan." He smiled trying to ease the strictness of his words, "After all to be clan you must not only be willing and able to fight the Foot."  
Rama stiffened as if the thought was impossible, that she would not fight the Foot Clan for us anymore, and she gave a baleful glare Leo's way.

" There are things you know about the Foot that I would dearly love to learn, and you must know for you to become one of our clan, I as your Jonin would have a right to that information."

Rama's body tensed in anger she gritted her teeth and sneered at Leo.

" Your skills as a ninja are superb and I could use you as one of my jenin. However in our clan we must trust each other implicitly, we are a small clan and therefore need to rely on each other far more then in a larger organization. Therefore you will not be allowed to become a clan member until you have more of a chance to become integrated as a family member, thus giving us all a chance to get to know you. Clan membership is only a possibility based in the future depending on many contingencies." Leo smiled, kindly, "Until that time I won't ask you for anything that you are not able or willing to give and that includes information regarding the Foot."

" Leo I'm going stay with Rama," I told him, " I don't think it is a good idea for her to be alone right now."

Leo looked my way " That is your choice Mike, judging from what I have seen and all that I know, I sorted of expected you to say that," he grinned, " And out of all of us I believe you stand the best chance of being around her and not being killed by her. After all if she was going to kill you she would have done it for Yukio." He turned back to Ramiela, " Do you accept this offer?"

Rama shrugged uncertainly.

" You have time to consider it but I would like an answer in twenty four hours. One more thing what name do you wish to go by? We know you better as Ramiela, but it is understandable that after so many years you would prefer Kirra."

" Kirra is a lie, I have no need to continue living a lie. I am Ramiela" Rama declared quickly.

Leo gave a large smile as if relieved to hear her say that, I could tell he was pleased by her choice, as if by accepting our name over her Foot name she was all ready trying to find her way home. " Good choice. Very well Ramiela it is."

I sensed his approval and I knew what Leo had offered Rama had been more then fair, in fact it had been better then I had hoped for. Now it remained to be seen if Rama would accept it.

TBC

**Reinbeauchaser: **Only an epilogue left. Rama used one of her specialty bombs that bring down a certain amount of debris and stuff from around you, but doesn't cause a great deal of structural damage. Similar to what she used in the chapter " Returning home" when she buried the dead turtle members. Leo of course has no idea that it was one of her specialty bombs, he was expecting the building to collapse, it didn't, and it wasn't suppose to. A gratitude for your insight

**Lunar Ninja: **I maybe old but I am not old enough to be senile, in other words yes I remember quite well the Wizard of Oz bit ( grins wickedly in return) Ugh thing? Now for a ninja seppuku is not an ugh thing. Seppuku is a way of restoring lost honour and is totally acceptable in certain situations. As a ninja Rama knows it would be cowardly to not commit seppuku in this instance. Only an epi to go. A gratitude for your insight.


	32. Epilogue: Tentative Future

The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

**Epilogue - Tentative Future**

**Michaelangelo:**

Rama of course was tense, nervous and on edge, not to mention being overtired and stressed out, it made for a bad combination, especially when you added into the mix Raph's many snide comments that he couldn't help but pass Rama's way.

Raph sneered at her as he passed by commenting out the side of the mouth " What is your plan going come after us tonight in our sleep?"

Rama lunged at him getting him down and hauling out her sai to teach him a lesson, frightening Karena and the twins. By the time I got her to back down and off; Leo was standing there watching with, not a great deal of amusement, this was only the third time she'd gone after Raph this morning.

" It might be better under the circumstances to keep Rama away from the rest of the family." Leo declared firmly.

" What about Raph get him to keep his big yap shut," I countered.

" Mike" Leo said simply.

I hung my head, I knew there was no keeping Raph quiet, not when he was like this, and now that he was home he was even worse.

" I can't have Rama going after everyone whenever they say something she doesn't agree with or theydo something she doesn't care for. The family is under a great deal of strain as it is" Leo explained patiently, " I think for the time being it would be better to keep Rama to a bedroom."

Rama made a low growling noise lunging at Leo, drawing her katana and fuming " I'm not now or ever will be your prisoner Leonardo!"

Leo managed to block the blow with his own katana, but the upset that followed meant that Rama only succeeded in knocking a nail in her own coffin, so to speak. It took me even longer to convince her to back down and not hurt Leo.

" Come on Rama you are tired and you really could use some rest" I soothed, " I think you'd feel better if you weren't so exhausted. Leo isn't trying to make you a prisoner so put your sword away please." I coaxed keeping my voice low and soft.

She finally backed off and slipped her katana away, her chest heaving a deep scowl etched on her face.

I had managed to lead her to the only bedroom our smaller lair had, and we had sat to talk about all kinds of trivial subjects, speaking in Japanese or English as the whim struck.

Leo came and tapped on the door a while later, calling me outside to talk to me.

" How is she doing?" He asked.

" She seems to be a bit better with me, not so on edge." I replied honestly, knowing Leo would pick up on any lie.

" I don't know Mike she seems so dangerous right now, I really have my doubts on if she can even make it back to being with the family." Leo confessed uneasily.

" Leo you have to give her a fair chance, it is the first day with us. You know Raph ought to have better control of his mouth too, it isn't fair that she gets punished for her behaviour and not Raph." I pointed out.

" Raph is family and clan, she is neither at the moment Mike. Don't worry I will talk to Raph but when the time is right." Leo paused, " I want her out of here soon, once we have gotten some rest I'm going have Raph and Don scout for a possible place to make a home both for us, and for her. The sooner she is out of our home we can really start on our own recovery."

I scowled it sounded to me like Leo just wanted to give her the push out the door and be done with her, as if he suddenly realized all the work to be done with Rama and wanted to bail out while he could. I didn't say anything though, I knew why he felt that way, knew it had to be done, it had been part of what he had laid down in his ruling after all, so all I could do was accept the verdict as it was.

" I also want a guard on her until she does leave here."

" No problem I'll watch her Leo, so far she is willing to listen to me at least, eventually." I volunteered.

" I figured you'd offer Mike but you need to get your rest too" Leo insisted.

" I'll rest with her, she won't hurt me. I know she won't. Right now the only ones she seems out to get is you and Raph, I'm not sure about Don even." I shook my head.

" Aw Mike, what are we getting into. I know what you want and I'd love to see it but things don't look good for it…"

" You said the same thing about Rama helping us escape Leo" I reminded him, " She's still good. She's a scared hurt, confused kid who needs a lot of love and attention. I believe she won't hurt me because she does remember me, it's probably why she is willing to trust me Leo." I gave him a small smile and a shrug, " What else am I suppose to do Leo?"

I waited and when I didn't receive an answer I sighed, " I better get back to her Leo."

Leo nodded his head " Mike one thing you should know she was considering seppuku, she might still be thinking about it."

I turned back to the bedroom door " I figured if she made it out she would go off and commit seppuku. I can't lose her again Leo." I insisted firmly, " I won't" I vowed as I took a deep breath and re-entered the bedroom.

Rama had taken off her gear andhad freedher long hair she looked a bit more relaxed now but still not ready to sleep. I sat down on a stool that was in the corner of the small bedroom

" Leo said you were thinking of committing seppuku…"

" So what if I am?" She retorted.

" I think you have a better chance of regaining honour alive then you do dead Rama, and I hope you can find it in you to give us a real, honest chance before you do that, there are many ways to restore honour. Leo has offered you one way," I told her, " Besides I've missed enough time with you I don't want to miss anymore. I'd really love to get to know you better Ramiela."

She shrugged " I'll consider it." Was all she'd say.

I didn't want to push her too much right now, I figured Rama had good survival instincts at this time and I hoped that she really wouldn't be able to commit seppuku, course I would have to see if Don agreed, but it made sense to me.

" I'm grateful you did decide to help us Rama, I think that is partly why Leo is willing to give you a chance to fit in with our family."

" Like that will happen," She snorted, " They don't trust me and I don't blame them" she gave a wicked smile.

" We aren't so bad Rama, and underneath it all, neither are you."

Rama gave me a small smile, then we lapsed into silence for a bit she broke the silence a few minutes later by asking, " What am I suppose to call you?"

" I'd love to hear you call me dad again but that may take time and you may not be comfortable with it. So go ahead call me Mike, Mikey or Michaelangelo" I paused, " Course your mom used to call me Michael. Whatever works for you Rama."

She glanced down at the bed and bit her lip slightly " You know I had the strangest of feelings that father was going to kill me. It seems funny now, even thinking about it because I knew he had no reason to kill me…" She took a deep shaky breath, " I guess I just felt funny when I learned that he knew who I was all along and he never told me. Maybe I was just being paranoid."

I smiled leaning forward on the stool " As a ninja Rama you have been trained to listen to your hunches and gut instinct, that which some people call dumb luck." I shook my head, " If you had those sort of feelings maybe it was true. Maybe Yukio did intend to kill you when he killed us, or maybe not" I pointed out calmly, " Some part of you knew and accepted that possibility or you would never have had those feelings." I picked my words carefully knowing how protective she was of Yukio.

Funny, that no matter how much he had hurt her, he still had her devotion and loyalty and I had a feeling she would mourn his loss and when that wore off who knows what I had to cope with in the coming months.

For her right now the choice of seppuku or life might be a bit difficult and I hoped she'd chose life and start to enjoy some of the good things it had to offer her. She deserved it by this time in her life.

I watched as she finally laid down on the bed, closing her eyes. I stayed silent stilling my breathing so it wouldn't disturb her; I wanted her to get into a deeper sleep. Though I knew she would remain slightly awake and alert to her surroundings, so that if anyone tried to hurt her, she would be up and able to defend herself before they could even strike.

I sat back on the stool realizing the next little bit of our lives was bound to be very interesting, to say the least.

I was willing to do anything to make the transition easier on her. I was willing to be there for her and stay with her, for I knew she needed me more then my own family did, but I did hope sometime in the future we could all live together as family, once again.

I was glad to have this second chance with her. I felt honoured that she would trust me, and I knew I could trust her, to not hurt me.

In time who knew how she would be. I could see a bright future ahead of all of us, for she had made that first step to come out of the darkness she had been living in for all these years. I knew she still had a long way to go, but Rama in spite of all the odds against her had finally made it home, and I was sure she could beat the odds again.

The End.

**Lunar ninja: **She isn't going kill herself yet! At the moment the other turtles might have more to fear of being killed. Hmmm, I have been called worse and since it isn't true it won't bother me any, oh slave to a monkey. Now Rama **she** is a goat, and I best run before she can show me what she can do with a sai. A gratitude for your insight.

**Reinbeauchaser: **I didn't want to drag this story out, nor did I just want Rama to be 'all better' because after all she has been through it just wouldn't seem true. Rama does indeed hate Leo, part of that is what she learned from Yukio both from being around him and his training methods, but also Leo being there when Yukio died probably doesn't help matters. Ah yes had to have Karena give that line. I figured it worked well for a married couple. A gratitude for your insight.


End file.
